Study Shows Climate Change Impacts on Health

The Lancet Countdown — in partnership with World Health Organization (WHO) — released a major global report warning that climate change is already causing a devastating toll on human health. The report finds that 12 out of 20 key health‑related indicators of climate risk have reached record levels.
Key findings include a 23% increase in heat‑related deaths since the 1990s — with roughly 546,000 heat‑related deaths per year now on average globally. In 2024, individuals were exposed on average to 16 extra dangerous-heat days attributable to climate change; for infants and older adults, the number rose to over 20 heatwave days per person — about four times more than two decades ago.
Beyond heat stress, the report highlights the broader health effects of climate change: increased food and water insecurity, worsening air pollution, more frequent extreme weather events, and rising spread of infectious diseases and vector‑borne diseases (like malaria, dengue). It also warns that climate change threatens essential foundations of health — clean air, safe water, nutritious food, and stable livelihoods — especially in vulnerable regions with weak health infrastructure.
In economic terms, climate‑driven health risks are already imposing a heavy burden: a recent analysis by the World Economic Forum projects that losses in labour productivity, increased illness and healthcare strain caused by climate change could cost the global economy at least US $1.5 trillion by 2050 — unless urgent adaptation and resilience measures are taken.