Berlin [Germany], June 12: Heat has killed more than 200,000 people in Europe over the past four years, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday, warning that climate change is turning heatwaves into a recurring crisis causing largely preventable deaths.
Launching new WHO guidance on protecting people from extreme heat, WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge stressed that most of these deaths - recorded across the European Union and associated countries - were "entirely preventable."
Beyond the death toll, Kluge said millions more people were affected physically and mentally by extreme heat, which he described as the "most immediate and lethal manifestation" of climate change. While individual action such as staying out of the heat and drinking enough water can make a big difference, Kluge said a "coordinated, powerful and institutional response" was needed to fight what he called a "systemic crisis."
Kluge was launching the second edition of the WHO Heat-Health Action Plans Guidance, developed by a group of former heads of government, ministers and leaders from across the WHO.
The guidance urges local authorities to recognize climate change as "first and foremost a threat to human security" and to deploy heat-health action plans. Recommended measures include expanding shade in cities, improving social services to help older people stay hydrated, and training teachers and carers to recognize the signs of heat-related illnesses.
Source: Qatar Tribune