Context: Recently, ‘State of Climate Services for health report 2023’ was released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Key Findings

• Projected Increase in Disaster Events by 2030: The number of medium- or large-scale disaster events is projected to reach 560 a year – or 1.5 each day – by 2030.

• Disaster Mortality Disparities Due to Early Warning Coverage: Countries with limited early warning coverage have disaster mortality that is eight times higher than countries with substantial to comprehensive coverage.

• ‘Early Warnings for All Initiative’: Heat warning services are provided to health decision makers in only half of the affected countries, but are expected to rapidly increase by 2027 under the international Early Warnings for All initiative.

• Annual Heat-Related Deaths (2000-2019): Between 2000 and 2019, estimated deaths due to heat were approximately 489,000 per year, with a particularly high burden in Asia (45%) and Europe (36%). 

• Impact of Extreme Heat in Europe: Extreme heat conditions during the summer of 2022, were estimated to have claimed over 60,000 excess deaths in 35 European countries.

• Increasing Global Land Area Affected by Extreme Drought (2012-2021): In 2012-2021, 29% more global land area was affected by extreme drought for at least one month per year than in 1951–1960. 

• Compounding Impacts of Droughts and Heat Waves on Food Insecurity (2020): The compounding impacts of droughts and heat wave days were associated with 98 million additional people reporting moderate to severe food insecurity in 2020 than annually in 1981–2010, in 103 countries analyzed.

• Impact of Climate Change on Infectious Diseases Transmission: The changing climatic conditions are also enhancing the transmission of many climatically sensitive infectious vectors-, food-, and water-borne diseases. 

• For example, dengue is the world’s fastest-spreading vector-borne disease, whilst the length of the malaria transmission season has increased in parts of the world.

• Framework for 2023–2033 Implementation Plan for Advancing Integrated Climate, Environment and Health Science and Service.

Key Recommendations:

• The report stresses the need for collaboration between health and climate agencies to address the climate-health nexus, especially in vulnerable regions like Africa. Developing in-country capacities to improve local knowledge. Policy mandates for health and meteorological actors to collaborate.

• To address these challenges, institutional development and integration between the health and climate sectors must undergo transformational change. Adequate investment is crucial to prepare the health community for the potential shocks and pressures brought on by climate variability and change.

About the World Meteorological Organization

• It is originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was founded in 1873. 

• It was established in 1950.

• It is the specialized agency of the United Nations  for meteorology(weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.

• Currently it has a membership of 187 countries.

Governance Structure

• Its supreme body is the World Meteorological Congress, which consists of representatives of all members.

• It meets at least every four yearsto set general policy and adopt regulations.

• A 36-member Executive Council meets annually and implements policy.

• Headquarters:  Geneva, Switzerland.