(Copenhagen) More than 175,000 people die from the effects of heat each year in Europe, the fastest-warming region of the globe, according to a statement released Thursday by the European division of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Among the approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths recorded each year by the WHO between 2000 and 2019, “the European region accounts for 36% (of these victims), or an average of 176,040 deaths per year” over this period.
The WHO’s European region, which extends into Central Asia, is the fastest warming region, at a rate about twice the global average, the organization notes.
“Across the region and its 53 member states, people are paying a high price,” regional director Hans Kluge said in the statement.
Over the past 20 years, heat-related mortality has increased by 30%.
“Extreme temperatures exacerbate chronic diseases, including cardiovascular, respiratory and cerebrovascular diseases, mental health and diabetes-related conditions,” says WHO Europe.
They are also the cause of “heat stress”, which occurs when the human body can no longer maintain its temperature between 36 and 37°C, and which is today the main cause of climate-related mortality in the region.
According to the WHO, the number of heat-related deaths will “skyrocket” in the coming years due to global warming, which has been responsible for the increase in heat waves in Europe in recent decades.
“The three warmest years on record in the WHO European Region have all occurred since 2020, and the ten warmest years have all occurred since 2007,” Kluge said.
According to the UN organization, it is possible to cope with the heat by adopting simple behaviors: staying out of the heat, keeping your home cool, and hydrating regularly.
On July 25, UN chief Antonio Guterres called for action against the “epidemic” of extreme heat and advocated for concrete measures to confront this “invisible killer.”
The UN Secretary-General believes that vulnerable people must be cared for, workers exposed to heat must be protected and global temperature increase limited to 1.5°C.