The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Europe office this Friday (22) said the heatwave in Europe was responsible for 1,700 deaths in the Iberian Peninsula alone and called for joint action to combat climate change.
“Heat kills. In recent years, hundreds of thousands of people have died from excessive heat during prolonged heat waves, and often from simultaneous forest fires,” Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said in a statement. Said.
“This year we have witnessed another 1,700 deaths that could have been prevented in the current heatwave in Spain and Portugal,” he added.
The district manager stressed that exposure to extreme heat “often worsens pre-existing health conditions”, noting that “people at any point in life – infants, children and the elderly – are at risk”.
WHO Europe explained to AFP that this figure is a preliminary estimate based on reports from federal authorities and that “it is already rising and will continue to rise in the coming days”. He also noted that it will take weeks to determine the actual death toll associated with the heatwave.
“This week’s events once again point to the desperate need for pan-European action to effectively address climate change,” Kluge said. Said.
The regional head of the UN health agency stressed that governments must show willingness and leadership in implementing the Paris Agreement. This agreement set the goal of limiting global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels (and preferably no more than 1.5°C).
source: Noticias
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