A new heatwave episode began on Thursday August 6 and should last about a week. Ever-rising global temperatures will soon cause more deaths than all infectious diseases combined.
- In a wait-and-see climate scenario, global death rates will increase by 73 deaths per 100,000 people by the end of the century.
- In addition to sunstroke, dehydration and carcinogenic sunburn, heat has indirect consequences on the health of fragile people.
As 2020 is on track to be the hottest year on record, a new study indicates that the planet’s steadily rising temperatures will soon cause more deaths than all infectious diseases combined.
In a wait-and-see climate scenario, global death rates will increase by 73 deaths per 100,000 people by the end of the century. This figure almost matches the current number of deaths from all infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, dengue and yellow fever.
Heat has indirect consequences on health
In addition to sunstroke, dehydration and carcinogenic sunburn, heat has indirect consequences on the health of fragile people. “Many older people die from the indirect effects of heat, explains Amir Jina, environmental economist at the University of Chicago (USA) and co-author of the study, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. It’s similar to Covid-19: vulnerable people are those with pre-existing or underlying health conditions. If you suffer from a heart problem, for example, intense and continuous heat will push you towards collapse”, continues the expert.
Devastation in the poorest regions
If left unchecked, rising temperatures will wreak havoc in the poorest parts of the world in particular, as they will find it difficult to invest in means of protection against the heat, such as air conditioning. “A really hot day in Seattle is more damaging than a heat wave in Houston, because air conditioning is less prevalent there, exemplifies Bob Kopp, climatologist at Rutgers University.Climate change is both a public health issue and an equality issue.” he believes.
The world has warmed by about 1°C on average since the birth of mass industrialization, increasing heat waves, fires, storms and floods.
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