Health risks of climate change reach record levels

Heat-related deaths, food insecurity and infectious diseases have reached record levels due to the climate crisis, according to the latest Lancet Countdown report.

People worldwide faced an unprecedented 50 extra days of health-threatening temperatures in 2023, with extreme drought affecting nearly half of the global land area, as climate change drives record-breaking health threats across every country, the report released on Wednesday revealed.

Over the past 10 years, nearly two-thirds of the Earth's land surface experienced more severe rainstorms, heightening the risk of floods, infections, and contaminated water supplies, while creating more favorable conditions for mosquito-transmitted illnesses such as dengue, said the report.