As a result of the climate crisis, health risks in Europe and other regions of the world are likely to increase. In a new report, the EU Environment Agency EEA warned that more Europeans will suffer heat waves or infectious diseases if climate change is not addressed, according to the report by Stuttgarter Zeitung (in German).
The Copenhagen-based EEA examined how climate change affects health and well-being in Europe in its report. The EEA focused on the effects of high temperatures and climate-related infectious diseases. Climate change will result in diseases such as malaria and dengue fever spreading further north, increasing disease burdens.
Heat waves can become an increasing danger because they become more frequent and severe as a result of climate change. According to the EEA, they were already responsible for 86 to 91 percent of all deaths from extreme weather and climate events in the member states between 1980 and 2020. Unprecedented heatwaves, such as those seen this year, pose the greatest direct climate-related health threat to Europeans, the EEA said.
Impacts of climate change, such as floods or insect plagues, have a significant impact on global health. Insect-borne, water-borne, and food-borne diseases are increasing exponentially. In addition, there is a risk of further pandemics. It is likely that new outbreaks will occur. Global warming is causing many animal species to seek out new habitats due to the fact that mankind is invading more and more animal habitats. In this way, diseases could spread more easily to humans.