Climate change must be declared 'global health emergency': Lancet study

A Lancet study argues that climate change must be recognized as a global health emergency, warning that health risks are accelerating faster than the international response. The report, produced by the Lancet Countdown in collaboration with the World Health Organization, highlights worsening heat, drought, and extreme rainfall as threats to human survival and health services.

Heat was linked to an estimated 710,000 deaths in 2023, with over 71% of those attributed to climate change, surpassing deaths from HIV or malaria that year. The authors set six priorities for a health-centered response, urging faster emissions cuts and adaptation measures. The assessment, involving 146 researchers from over 100 institutions in 30 countries, tracks 54 indicators and notes progress in clean energy investment while warning that fossil fuels still supply over 80% of global energy.

The findings arrive just weeks before the COP31 climate conference in Turkey, where the researchers urge health to be prioritized in emissions policy, financing, and adaptation.