Environment
The global health effects of climate change are not well quantified today and are likely to increase in the future, with lower-income countries bearing the brunt of greater food insecurity, increased rates of chronic respiratory illnesses, and shifts in vector-borne diseases. This section explores the global health nexus between climate change and pollution and the possibilities for a more coherent policy approach to these issues
Environment
30,000
Since March 2022, cholera has infected more than 30,000 and killed more than 1,000
Malawi's Cholera Outbreak Could Spill Over into Neighboring Countries
0.08%
Sri Lanka and other dengue-endemic countries brought the mortality rate of dengue down to less than 0.08%
Why Nations Need to Prepare for Climate-Fueled Dengue
40,000
More than 40,000 people die of unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning annually
Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning When Disasters Hit
32,200
Agricultural burning accounted for approximately 32,200 premature deaths in 2019
Deaths related to the use of fire to clear land
25 Percent
The U.S. makes up 5 percent of the global population, but produces 25 percent of the world's CO2 emissions
The United States and CO2 emissions
4 Million
In 2019, outdoor air pollution was linked to more than 4 million deaths
Air pollution-linked deaths
One-Third
The one-third of Earth under the guardianship of Indigenous peoples boasts ~80 percent of global biodiversity
Indigenous Land Guardianship Around the World
5 Percent
In India, health care contributes to 5 percent of the national carbon footprint
Carbon footprint of India's health-care industry
700,000
Indonesia dumps close to 700,000 tons of plastic into the ocean each year
Indonesia and plastic waste
62,000
In 2018, China reported 62,000 heat-related deaths in people over age 65
Aging and heat
Featured
U.S. Voters Disenfranchised by Climate Change
Electoral planning needs to envision increasingly severe extremes that disrupt the casting and counting of ballots
In India, Climate Change Drives Pesticide Use, Harming Farmers' Health
As temperatures rise, farmworkers turn to using more potent pesticides, putting themselves at further risk
Shrinking Shores, Rising Risks in the Great Salt Lake
How Utah's shrinking Great Salt Lake is harming human and environmental health
California's Wildfires Demand Action
The January 2025 Los Angeles fires reveal the damaging health consequences of climate-charged hazards
Regaining Momentum on Climate and Health
This year could mark a turning point for efforts to the devastating impacts of climate change on global health
Mental Health After India's Glacial Floods
One year after India's climate disaster, fear and anxiety persist in Himalayan communities
Gender-Based Violence: The Unseen Toll of Hurricanes
The number of women killed in domestic violence incidents doubled after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017
Climate Change Fuels Lightning Strikes in Kashmir
Lightning strikes were responsible for approximately 7% of fatalities in Jammu and Kashmir from 2020 to 2022
Out Cold: The Most Common Wintertime Injuries in a Warming World
Shifting weather and rising heating costs create wintertime threats, namely among the elderly and other at-risk groups
COP29: The Health Expenses of Climate Change
Does a failure to focus on health economic losses stand opposed to stronger action at the UN summit and beyond?
Hurricanes, Climate Change, and Cardiovascular Disease
As climate change advances, intense hurricanes disrupt critical services and increase risk of cardiovascular disease
Extreme Heat and Domestic Violence in Mexico
Currently, no gender or climate policy addresses the links between climate events and risk of violence
Mexico's Shared Fate in the Absence of Trees
Increased violence and illegal deforestation of Mexico's Michoacán risks environmental and human health
Brazil's Deadly Floods Expose Shortfalls in Disaster Preparedness
A failure to create and implement policies for climate-related disasters left Brazil unprepared
In Climate Fight, Focus on Women and Girls
Zimbabwe's Lunia Centre is tackling climate change's spillover effects on women and girls