Pakistan’s climate defences under scrutiny amid Lancet warning
• Ex-health officials slam country’s ‘too little, too late’ disaster response; demand climate-proof hospitals, early warnings, heat action plans • Study calls for climate change to be declared global health emergency • Heat-related deaths rise 36pc since Paris accord; economic losses estimated at over $1tr ISLAMABAD: Health and environmental experts in Pakistan have called for urgent measures to…
Health and environmental experts in Pakistan have criticised the country's response to climate-related disasters, calling for urgent measures to address growing climate-related health risks. The Lancet's 2026 Countdown report warned that rising heat-related deaths, floods, droughts, and economic losses are outpacing global efforts to combat climate change, urging climate change to be recognised as a "global health emergency."
Pakistan's average annual heat-related deaths have risen 36% since the Paris Agreement, with over 70% of these deaths attributed to human-caused climate change. The report also found that heat-related economic losses reached an estimated $1.07 trillion in 2025. Former Punjab health minister Professor Dr Javed Akram emphasized the urgency of the issue for Pakistan, highlighting the devastating impact of the 2022 floods, which displaced communities, damaged healthcare infrastructure, and increased the risk of waterborne diseases and malnutrition.
Brief written by urgent.news from Dawn's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
