Climate change will increase deaths and heat-related illnesses, study

LONDON (Reuters) – Scientists warn that climate change is making more and more people vulnerable to rising temperatures around the world, leading to an increased risk of heart disease, lung disease and other life-threatening diseases. rising temperatures.

In a study published in the Lancet medical journal, scientists said on Wednesday that rising temperatures seemed to be more severe for the elderly, city dwellers and people with chronic diseases. Older people live in densely populated cities.

"Trends and exposure to the impacts of climate change are creating unacceptable risks to health today and in the future," said York University Professor Hillary Graham. and co-chair of the study.

The study included work from 27 academic institutions in the fields of health, engineering and the environment, as well as experts from the United Nations and intergovernmental agencies from around the world. .

According to the World Health Organization, climate change is affecting many factors that affect health, including the purity of air, water, food and fuel. shelters. The FAO estimates that between 2030 and 2050, climate change could cause an additional 250,000 deaths a year due to malnutrition, diarrhea, malaria and stress caused by high temperatures.

The study found that in 2017, about 157 million people had been exposed to vulnerable groups of hot flashes and that about 153 billion hours of work had not exploited because of high temperatures.

The study also revealed that slight changes in temperature and precipitation could result in significant changes in the transmission of certain infectious diseases transmitted by water and by mosquitoes such as cholera, malaria and dengue fever. .