Climate change must be declared 'global health emergency': Lancet study

3. Heat, drought and other hazards: mostly confirmed.
Coverage cites heat deaths, drought hitting half the world’s land for at least one month, and worsening extreme rainfall and flooding (Todo Alicante). I didn’t see a source linking the findings specifically to “health services,” so I’d soften that part or cite the report itself.

4. A call for recognition, not a WHO declaration: confirmed.
AAP says the report recommends recognising climate change as a global health emergency through UN and WHO measures. I found no WHO emergency declaration. One nuance: the Lancet Countdown is produced in collaboration with WHO, but the recommendation comes from the report’s authors, so avoid implying WHO issued it.

5. 710,000 heat deaths in 2023, more than 70% from climate change: confirmed.
Heat was linked to an estimated 710,000 deaths in 2023, with more than 71% attributable to climate change (ABC News). AAP gives 71.5%, and Inside Climate News calls it a record, exceeding deaths from HIV or malaria that year. I couldn’t locate The Independent article itself, so I confirmed the figure through these other outlets.

Other relevant findings

Climate change should be formally recognised as a global health emergency, researchers behind the 2026 Lancet Countdown report said Wednesday, warning that health threats are accelerating faster than the international response.

The assessment links worsening heat, drought and other climate hazards to mounting risks for human survival, livelihoods and health services.

Its recommendation is a call for formal recognition, not an announcement that the World Health Organisation has issued an emergency declaration.

Threats are accelerating faster than the response

The authors set out six priorities for a health-centered response (ABC News). The 10th annual report involves 146 researchers from more than 100 institutions in over 30 countries and is led by University College London.

Extreme heat contributed to an estimated 710,000 deaths in 2023, with more than 70 percent attributed to human-caused warming, according to findings reported by The Independent.

Average annual heat-related deaths increased almost 36 percent after the Paris Agreement.

“A decade after the Paris Agreement, our findings are unambiguous: the health harms of climate change are growing faster than the world’s response to them, and in many cases even accelerating,” said Lancet Countdown executive director Marina Romanello.

ABC News cited Romanello as saying that the health harms are growing faster than the world’s response and in many cases accelerating, and that the numbers point to a “clear emergency”.

The assessment tracks 54 indicators covering heat, air pollution, infectious disease, energy, adaptation and economic damage.

More than 140 experts across over 30 countries contributed.

Severe drought affected nearly 52 percent of global land for at least one month in 2025.

Satellite analyses also identified major shifts in groundwater storage across 80 percent of land since 2003, threatening sanitation and food security.

The report also records progress. Clean energy investment reached a record in 2025, while reduced air pollution prevented approximately 323,000 deaths annually across 77 countries where fossil fuel emissions declined after 2016.

Nevertheless, fossil fuels still supply more than 80 percent of global energy, the researchers warned.

The findings arrive ahead of November’s COP31 climate conference. Authors want health prioritised in emissions policy, financing and adaptation.

The report’s launch is scheduled for October 28. Publication coverage is available, but the figures describe historical periods rather than deaths occurring this year alone.

Climate risks affect deaths, food security, water supplies and health services simultaneously. The report argues that faster emissions cuts and adaptation can protect lives, while documented clean energy gains show that action already delivers benefits.

Watch the report’s launch, government responses and COP31 negotiations.

The key question is whether the emergency appeal leads to stronger health protection, financing and emissions commitments rather than symbolic recognition.

(With inputs from AFP)