Terrifying report: more than 50 percent of deaths will occur on this continent
The Secretary-General of the WMO, Petteri Taalas, shared the report entitled “The state of climate services for health 2023”, prepared under the coordination of the WMO and with contributions from the World Health Organization (WHO) and many other international organizations.
The effects of climate change threaten to reverse years of progress toward better health and well-being, especially in the most vulnerable communities, according to the report, which this year focused on health.
Extreme weather conditions and poor air quality are driving the need for specific climate-related information and services to support the health sector in the face of infectious disease variants and food and water insecurity.
Climate change harms the determinants of health and increases pressure on health systems. This threatens to reverse decades of progress to improve human health and well-being, especially in the most vulnerable communities.
560 MEDIUM AND LARGE SCALE NATURAL DISASTERS ARE PROJECTED EACH YEAR
According to the report, it is expected that by 2030 there will be 560 medium and large-scale natural disasters worldwide, which will equate to an average of 1.5 events per day.
It is noted that early warning systems have a vital effect in preventing the negative effects of climate change, and in countries where this is insufficient, mortality rates are 8 times higher than in other countries.
50 PERCENT OF THE DEATHS WILL BE IN AFRICA
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that health risks will increase in the future due to more intense and frequent extreme heat, hurricanes, storms, floods, droughts and wildfires, while more than 50 percent of excess deaths from climate change will occur. It will be in Africa in 2050. He predicts that this will happen.
While air quality, climate change and health issues are considered interconnected, climate change mitigation actions that lead to a reduction in air pollution can save lives.
In 2019, air pollution moved from fifth to fourth place in the ranking of the main risk factors for death globally, while other widely recognized risk factors for chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases and malnutrition have increased. increased its impact.
7 MILLION EARLY DEATHS EVERY YEAR
Heat waves cause approximately 7 million premature deaths each year and increase air pollution.
While it is estimated that approximately 489,000 people died from extreme heat between 2000 and 2019, 45 percent of these deaths occurred in Asia and 36 percent in Europe.
It is estimated that extreme heat conditions in the summer of 2022 will cause more than 60 thousand deaths in 35 European countries.
“THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS A HEALTH CRISIS”
WMO Secretary-General Taalas said: “Almost the entire world experienced heat waves this year. The emergence of El Niño weather events in 2023 will greatly increase the likelihood of new temperature records being broken. “This will cause further overheating in many parts of the world and in the oceans, exacerbating this problem.” he said.
Referring to the importance of increasing investment and cooperation in the fight against climate change, Taalas noted that there is great potential to move faster in this regard by increasing the impact of climate science and services.
The AA correspondent said: “The effects of the global climate crisis are also being felt in Gaza. Abeer Butmeh, coordinator of the Palestinian Network of Environmental Civil Organizations, said the Israeli attacks will have serious long-term environmental consequences. The people of Gaza face difficulties in accessing water resources, especially due to attacks. “Do you think Israel’s attacks have made the situation in Gaza even worse?” Responding to the question, Taalas stated that the availability of water in this geography is limited and high temperatures are experienced.
Noting that water-related difficulties and high temperatures in Gaza and Israel, especially in the summer months, further complicate the situation, Taalas stated that this is a region where water diplomacy is needed regarding the use of resources. limited water.
Taalas also stated that desalination could be used to produce water for the people of Gaza, but that it would be quite expensive.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whose views are included in the report, said: “The climate crisis is a health crisis that leads to more severe and unpredictable weather events, fuels disease outbreaks and contributes to a higher rate of non-communicable diseases”. “. he said. (BRITISH AUTOMOBILE CLUB)
Source: Sozcu

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