Heat-linked deaths increased by 68% in populations above 65 years: Lancet report

Ailments such as acute kidney injury, heatstroke, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases can be caused due to exposure to extreme heat. 

Days of extreme heat are increasing in intensity and frequency due to the effects of climate change, an analysis of data from 103 countries showed in a recent Lancet report. 

The recently published report called Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: health at the mercy of fossil fuels has stated that due to rapidly increasing temperatures, vulnerable populations such as people over the age 65 and infants under the age of one were exposed to 3.7 billion more person-days of heatwave in 2021 than annually in 1986-2005. Person-days of heatwave exposure refers to the number of days or hours per year that exceed a heat exposure threshold multiplied by the total urban population exposed.

Serious ailments such as acute kidney injury, heatstroke, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and worsening cardiovascular and respiratory diseases can be caused due to exposure to extreme heat. 

Children below the age of one experienced 600 million more person-days of heatwaves every year than the average in 1986 to 2005 while adults above the age of 65 experienced 3.1 billion more days.

During 2021-22, extreme weather conditions such as floods, wildfire, drought and heatwaves has affected almost every continent in the world. Higher than usual temperatures were recorded in India, Pakistan, Oman, Turkey, Italy and the UK.

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In 2021 alone, people older than 65 in Canada experienced 47 million more person-days of heatwaves. This was due to a heatwave in North America that was at least 150 times more likely to have happened due to climate change. The heatwave was a direct cause of death of at least 569 people in British Columbia and more than 100 deaths in Washington, USA.