By Priyanjana Pramanik, MSc.May 14 2024Reviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc. In a recent report published in The Lancet Public Health¸ experts discussed how climate change impacts human health in Europe based on 42 indicators, including ticks, food security, and leishmaniasis.
An ongoing health emergency Global temperatures are inching closer to the 1.5°C increase, which, if exceeded, will severely impact climate health. Wildfire danger and drought also show an increasing trend across Europe. Due to the climate emergency, the number of individuals in Europe experiencing severe or moderate food insecurity increased by 12 million.
Within European countries, indigenous people, ethnic minorities, displaced people, migrants, low-income groups, pregnant women, women experiencing childbirth, and the LGBTQ+ community are among the worst impacted by the health effects of climate change. Accelerating climate action The contribution of European countries to global emissions of greenhouse gases has been historically high and continues to be so. These emissions benefited Europe in the form of economic growth, while other countries with low historical emissions disproportionately face the impacts of present-day and future environmental change.
The authors stressed the need to mitigate the impacts of climate change through bold actions and the benefits of such interventions, including reducing premature death and morbidity. The scientific and corporate communities' engagement with issues related to climate and health has increased, but individual, political, and media engagement remains low.