Earth Today | WHO highlights heat-health connection

THE NUMBER of people exposed to extreme heat is growing exponentially across the world because of climate change while heat-related deaths increase and have been a particular challenge for older people.

“Heat stress is a leading cause of weather-related deaths and can exacerbate underlying illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health, asthma, and can increase the risk of accidents and transmission of some infectious diseases. Heatstroke is a medical emergency with a high-case fatality rate,” revealed an April 2026 World Health Organisation (WHO) fact sheet.

“Population ageing and the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, dementia, renal disease and musculoskeletal disease) means that populations are becoming more susceptible to negative heat impacts,” it noted.

In fact, the WHO revealed that heat-related mortality for people over 65 years of age increased by approximately 85 per cent between 2000–2004 and 2017–2021.

At the same time, it said that “cities are not being designed to minimise the accumulation and generation of urban heat, with a loss of greenspace and inappropriate housing materials (for example, metal roofs) that amplify human exposure to excess heat”.

Local climate scientist Dr Michael Taylor recently flagged the need to give particular attention to populations that require careful consideration in response to the heat impacting Jamaica and in anticipation of worsening heat conditions associated with the El Nino phenomena. 

In addition to older persons, he pointed to outdoor workers, as well as children, among other vulnerable groups, as needing to be at top of mind in the planning for heat stress.

“We need to begin to pay attention to what we call the new climate vulnerable, especially with the heat. Think about the elderly, the children, think about all kinds of outdoors workers, security guards, think about the homeless … people who traditionally we don’t think about,” said Taylor, a physicist and head of the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of the West Indies.

At the time, he said, there were a number of steps that should be taken as part of strengthening preparedness.

“I would imagine that strengthening drought preparedness plans, improving water management, encourage water conservation, climate resilient agriculture, encouraging communities to conserve water, looking ahead and talking about where we are going to get water from if the water crisis further develops (should be accounted for in the planning),” Taylor noted.

The WHO, for its part, has recommended staying out of the heat, especially during the hottest time of day; keeping homes cool, ensuring bodies are not only cool but also hydrated; as well as protecting infants and children by, among other things, never leaving them in a hot car and dressing them in “lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that covers their skin”.

The United Nations Secretary-General's Call to Action on Extreme Heat, issued in 2024, further notes that with “deadly heat becoming commonplace”, it was time to strengthen global action on heat, with concrete measures taken now by governments and communities “to ease the suffering of people everywhere”. Also recommended is support for governments and communities everywhere by collecting good practices in policy and governance, risk reduction and management, and including the latest data and science on extreme heat. This is in addition to identifying key areas of national and international cooperation to help address extreme heat risk. 

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