Extreme heat growing health issue; killed 356,000 people in 2019: Study
More than 356,000 people died in 2019 as a result of extreme heat
and that number is likely to grow, according to a study published in The Lancet
this week.
The Global Burden of Disease review, funded by the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, found while cold temperatures still cause a greater number of
deaths, mortality rates attributable to heat are growing faster, particularly
in hotter regions of the world.
“This is very concerning, particularly given the risk of exposure
to high temperatures appears to have been increasing steadily for decades,”
said co-author Katrin Burkart from the University of Washington.
The findings echo another report, a two-part series called “Heat
and Health” that was also published in The Lancet this week. It calls for
global warming to be limited to 2.7 degrees F, in line with the Paris Climate
Accords, to reduce heat-related mortality in the future. Otherwise, deaths will
increase further and extreme heat will also lessen worker productivity and
exacerbate other environmental challenges, such as wildfires, researchers said.
“The effects extreme heat exposure can have on the body present a
clear and growing global health issue,” said Ollie Jay, a professor from the
University of Sydney, and a co-author of the Heat and Health report.
In addition to causing heat stroke, high temperatures have been
linked to increased hospitalizations and mental health issues. Older people and
other vulnerable groups, such as those with low mobility, are likely to be more
at risk. High temperatures can also reduce productivity. Around 1 billion
workers, many engaged in manual labor, often report lower output due to heat
stress.
Even with strategies to slow climate
change and reduce carbon emissions, environmentally sustainable
changes need to be made to adapt to an increasingly hotter world. Measures that
can be taken to mitigate the heat’s worst effects on health include increasing
the amount of green space in cities, putting wall coatings that can reflect
heat on buildings, and using more cooling and misting fans. While
air-conditioning is becoming more available, not everyone can afford it and it
can harm the environment.
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