A new report has shown that heat-related deaths in the country rose by 117% between 1999 and 2023, as record-breaking heatwaves continue across parts of the US.
The report, which was released on Monday by the Journal of the American Medical Association (Jama), among other things, found that from 1999 to 2023, there have been more than 21,500 heat-related deaths recorded in the US.
The researchers used data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also found that 1,069 deaths were heat-related in 1999, compared with 2,325 in 2023 – representing a 117% increase. The researchers said that the lowest number of heat-related deaths in the study period was 311 in 2004, whereas the highest was 2,325 in 2023.
Before 2016, the researchers said that the number of heat-related deaths showed “year-to-year variability”, with spikes in 2006 and 2011. But after 2016, the number of heat-related deaths steadily increased annually.
“As temperatures continue to rise because of climate change, the recent increasing trend is likely to continue,” the researchers wrote. “Local authorities in high-risk areas should consider investing in the expansion of access to hydration centers and public cooling centers or other buildings with air conditioning.”
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The researchers also highlighted that their study has limitations, including the potential for “misclassification of causes of death, leading to possible underestimation of heat-related mortality rates” as well as a potential lack of data for vulnerable subgroups.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “heat stress is the leading cause of weather-related deaths”, and the number of people exposed to extreme heat around the world is “growing exponentially” due to climate change, resulting primarily from the burning of fossil fuels.
“Heatwaves and prolonged excess heat conditions are increasing in frequency, duration, intensity and magnitude due to climate change,” the WHO added. “Even low and moderate intensity heatwaves can impact the health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations.”
Not only can extreme heat cause heatstrokes and heat exhaustion, which can lead to death, the strain put on the body as it tries to cool itself can also stress the heart and kidneys, according to the WHO.
On top of that, heat can also cause power outages and disrupt essential health services, the organization added. It can also affect transport.
This week in the US, the midwest is bracing for what could be some of its hottest days this summer, with 55 million Americans under alerts due to the extreme heat.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
