October 30, 2024

expert reaction to 2024 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change,

Scientists comment on the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change report.

Dr Josh Foster, Lecturer in Human Environmental Physiology, King’s College London, said:

“The report highlights the growing number of extreme heat events worldwide, which are associated with severe health impacts. Air conditioning is unaffordable for most in the UK, making us highly vulnerable to increased risks of indoor overheating. The UK’s older population are at particularly high risk due to slow uptake of adaptation measures, such as building modifications, development of personal cooling systems, and up to date public health messaging. During the 2022 heat wave, over 4,000 deaths were reported in the UK’s older population, and temperature extremes have worsened exponentially over the last decade. The trends highlighted in the Lancet report are therefore alarming and will result in more frequent mass mortality events in older people as the devastating impacts of climate changed are realised. At King’s, the Centre for Ageing Resilience in a Changing Environment (CARICE) is pioneering research into improving the resilience of older people to extreme heat. We focus on the urgent need to develop solutions to combat indoor overheating, decreasing strain on our already overstretched healthcare systems.”

Dr Nathan Cheetham, Senior Postdoctoral Data Scientist, King’s College London, said:

“The UK Met Office has recorded official heatwaves in each of the past 3 years, with the extreme heatwaves like the UK faced in summer 2022 set to become more regular.

“As the latest Lancet Countdown report highlights, these changes in climate pose particular health risks for older people, especially those living in poorer areas of cities where houses cope less well in heat.

“And, similar to what we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is key workers who tend to be most exposed and unable to shield as easily during heatwaves, such as those working in one of our many hospitals without air conditioning, or outdoor construction workers.

“The report also emphasises that emergency responses and adaptations to deal with the health risks of climate change are currently generally lacking. So there’s a responsibility by governments to support adaptation of housing, as well as where and how we work when these extreme weather events happen.”

‘The 2024 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: facing record-breaking threats from delayed action’ by Marina Romanello et al. was published in The Lancet at 00:01 UK time on Wednesday 30th October. 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01822-1

Declared interests:

Dr Nathan Cheetham: “Receive a minority of funding in part by the King’s College London Centre for Ageing Resilience in a Changing Environment (CARICE). One of the focuses of the centre is how to improve resilience of older people in the face of climate change. Majority funded by National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), on a project trying to understand the long-term consequences of COVID-19. Previously worked for an NHS organisation. Nothing else to declare such as industry funding.”

Dr Josh Foster: No interests to declare.