World Meteorological Organization seeks to provide a global early warning system
Among health ministries that received climate data, less than 25% used the information.
WHO Director-General: “Climate crisis, non-communicable disease incidence increases”
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) pointed out that there are concerns that the loss of life will increase as each country fails to properly convey crisis warnings amid the increasingly severe heat wave.
According to the Guardian on the 2nd (local time), many people died due to hot weather, but heat wave warning services were available to health experts in only half of the countries surveyed, WMO said in a report. The report was prepared by WMO together with more than 30 partner organizations.
WMO and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) have advanced a plan to provide an early warning system to everyone on Earth by 2028 to reduce human casualties. However, the WMO analysis shows that only half of the countries surveyed have a multi-hazard early warning system.
It also found that although three-quarters of national meteorological services send climate-related data to their national health officials, less than 25% of health authorities use this information to protect their citizens from risks such as extreme heat.
“Climate change is an unprecedented threat to human health,” said Madeleine Thompson, head of climate impact and adaptation at Wellcome, a health research support group that participated in writing the report. “Many countries have to deal with dangerous situations caused by ever-increasing temperatures,” he said, “but most countries are not well prepared.”
Scientists have warned that heat waves will become more severe due to the climate crisis. The world is already 1.2 degrees warmer than pre-industrial levels.
“Virtually the entire planet experienced a heat wave this year,” said WMO Director-General Petali Talas. The onset of the El Niño phenomenon this year will greatly increase the chances of future temperature records being broken. “It will also cause more extreme heat in many parts of the world and oceans,” he said.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said, “The climate crisis is a health crisis. “The climate crisis will cause more serious and unpredictable weather problems and increase the incidence of non-communicable diseases,” he said.
“If we work together to make quality climate services more accessible to the health sector, we can protect the health and well-being of people at risk from climate change.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.