Summary of the Lancet Countdown 2024 report on Health and Climate Change
Here’s a summary of the key findings from the Lancet Countdown 2024 report:
The Climate Crisis is Already Harming Health:
* Food Insecurity: Droughts and heatwaves contributed to 124 million more people facing moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023.
* Economic losses: Heat exposure resulted in 640 billion lost labor hours (US$1.09 trillion in productivity) and US$261 billion in costs related to heat-related deaths among older adults in 2024.
* Extreme weather: The report highlights increasing exposure to extreme weather events and their direct impact on health.
A Disconnect Between Funding & Action:
* Fossil Fuel Subsidies: Governments spent US$956 billion on fossil fuel subsidies in 2023 – more than triple the funding pledged to help climate-vulnerable countries. Some countries spend more on fossil fuel subsidies than their entire health budgets.
Positive Trends & Opportunities:
* Air Quality Improvements: Reduced coal use led to an estimated 160,000 premature deaths being avoided annually (2010-2022).
* Renewable Energy Growth: Renewable energy reached a record 12% of global electricity generation, creating 16 million jobs.
* Climate Education: Two-thirds of medical students now receive education on climate and health.
* Health Sector Leadership: Health-related greenhouse gas emissions from the health sector fell by 16% globally between 2021-2022, while improving care quality.
* Climate Risk Assessments: The vast majority of reporting cities (834 of 858) have completed or are planning to complete climate risk assessments.
* Health System Preparedness: A growing number of countries are assessing health vulnerabilities and developing adaptation plans (58% completed vulnerability assessments,60% have National adaptation Plans).
key Message & Call to Action:
The report emphasizes that solutions to the climate crisis exist and are already delivering health benefits. It calls for:
* rapidly phasing out fossil fuels in favor of clean, renewable energy.
* Adopting healthier, climate-kind diets and enduring agricultural practices.
* Placing health at the center of climate action, especially as the world prepares for COP30 in Brazil. The WHO will release a special report on climate change and health to inform COP30 discussions.
In essence, the report paints a picture of a worsening crisis, but also highlights the potential for positive change through decisive action and a focus on health as a central driver.
