Lancet report urges global health emergency recognition

The authors of the 2026 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change are urging the World Health Organization and United Nations to recognize climate change formally as a global health emergency, citing rising heat-related deaths and economic losses. The recommendation is a call by the report’s authors, not a declaration already made by either organization. The report estimates that heat was linked to an average of 540,800 deaths annually worldwide from 2016 through 2023. Of those, an estimated 369,900 per year were attributable to climate change, compared with 219,100 annually in 2006-2015. In 2023, heat was linked to an estimated 710,000 deaths, with 71.5% attributed to climate change. The figures are estimates from the report, which tracks 54 indicators of climate-related health risks and the effects of climate action. Its 10th annual edition was produced by 146 researchers from more than 100 institutions in over 30 countries, led by University College London in collaboration with WHO. The report also estimates that heat-related losses in people’s ability to work cost US$1.07 trillion in potential income in 2025. Agriculture and construction were among the most affected...