Climate change could unravel decades of progress in human health, says WMO

It is estimated that in 2022 alone, more than 60,000 people died in Europe through the heatwaves

Between 2000 and 2019, around 489,000 people are thought to have been killed by extreme heat, 45% of which happened in Asia and 36% in Europe.

Climate change threatens to unravel decades of progress on improving human health through extreme heat, air pollution, disruption of food systems and the spread of disease, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has said.

These effects will be strongest in Africa, where there is less monitoring of approaching extremes and which is projected to see 50% of the excess deaths from climate change in the future.