Temperature-related mortality burden and projected change in 1368 European regions: a modelling study . Image Credit: Kuki Ladron de Guevara / Shutterstock Study estimates temperature-related mortality risks across Europe, projecting increased heat-related deaths, especially in Southern regions, due to climate change and an aging population. In a recent study published in the journal The Lancet Public Health , researchers estimated present and future temperature-related mortality risks for four European climate change scenarios.
They examined the pronounced regional inequalities in death across 1,368 areas in 30 European countries, including specific disparities in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and Southern Europe. Background Climate change can lead to adverse physical, mental, and community health outcomes due to increasing extreme weather events, infectious illnesses, diminishing air quality, and poor food and water quality. Particularly in Europe, these changes are expected to exacerbate existing regional health inequalities.
Low and high temperatures significantly influence human health, increasing heat-related morbidities and fatalities and posing new difficulties to population health systems. The social and economic consequences of heat-related mortality in Europe necessitate not only broad interventions but also finely-tuned adaptation strategies. The evidence on temperature-related deaths is sparse, especially in Europe, with most research focused on Western nations wh.