Deaths soar as climate crisis takes a steep health toll
In Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), which make up nearly 90 percent of the country’s territory, daily temperatures regularly push beyond 35°C.
What you need to know:
- Extreme weather events such as droughts and wildfires have worsened food insecurity, leaving 124 million more people facing moderate or severe hunger in 2023 alone.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded an alarm over the growing health impacts of climate change, urging governments to prioritise health as a core component of climate action.
This urgent call follows the release of the new Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report, which found that 12 out of 20 key indicators tracking climate-related health threats have hit record highs globally.
The findings revealed that failure to take action on climate change is leading to loss of lives and overwhelming health systems while making inequality worse around the world.
“The climate crisis is a health crisis. Every fraction of a degree of warming costs lives and livelihoods,” said WHO Assistant Director for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Dr Jeremy Farrar.
He added: “This report makes it clear that climate inaction is killing people now in all countries. However, climate action is also the greatest health opportunity of our time.”
According to the report, heat-related deaths have risen sharply, with mortality rates increasing by 23 per cent since the 1990s. On average, heat now contributes to more than half a million deaths annually.
At the same time, extreme weather events such as droughts and wildfires have worsened food insecurity, leaving 124 million more people facing moderate or severe hunger in 2023 alone.
Besides loss of lives, the report further highlighted economic losses, revealing that heat exposure caused the loss of 640 million potential working hours in 2024, leading to more than a billion dollars in productivity losses worldwide.
It also criticised governments for spending heavily on fossil fuel subsidies rather than investing in climate solutions, even though investment in the sector has already proven to be beneficial.
Lancet Countdown Executive Director at the University College London, Dr Marina Romanello, said while the situation is dire, the solutions are still within reach.
Climate catastrophe
“We have the solutions at hand to avoid climate catastrophe, and communities and local governments around the world are proving that progress is possible,” she said.
She pointed to the growth of clean energy and city-level adaptations that are already saving lives by slowing global warming. Furthermore, a shift to healthier, climate-friendly diets and more sustainable farming could save over 10 million lives annually by reducing pollution, cutting emissions, and slowing deforestation.
The report’s release comes as organisations intensify preparations for the upcoming COP30 climate conference in Brazil. The report came as organisations intensify preparations ahead of the COP 30 to be held later this month in Brazil, where countries will gather to discuss solutions to the climate crisis.
According to WHO, it plans to build on this momentum through its COP30 Special Report on Climate Change and Health, which will offer a comprehensive assessment of the health impacts of climate change and highlight the benefits of urgent action.
Experts in Kenya have previously confirmed the close link between climate change and health, calling for responsible actions including public awareness, to ensure the crisis is managed.
Studies have also linked climate change to increased cancer cases, especially among children.
