A recent study showed that global heat deaths could rise by 370% if measures are not taken to control the impact of global warming. This study was published in The Lancet, a medical journal, on Tuesday.
The study, which also suggests that nearly 524.9 million people could suffer from food insecurity with an increase of up to 2 degrees Celsius in average global temperatures above pre-industrial levels, is known as The Lancet Countdown. It is in its eighth iteration and involved 114 scientists and health practitioners from 52 research institutions and U.N. agencies worldwide. This research emphasizes that human-caused climate change is causing more frequent health-threatening temperatures, especially in the U.S.
According to Dr. Renee Salas, an emergency medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, “Every heat-related death in my mind is avoidable.” She emphasized that the health sector must protect all people, while also working upstream to address and transition away from the root cause of these issues.
The study details how elders and infants are more vulnerable to the impact of rising temperatures and life-threatening viruses. Additionally, air pollution-related diseases can be alleviated by reducing the burning of fossil fuels, which could save many lives.
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