The World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe said on the 16th that extreme heat is becoming an increasingly severe public health threat in the European region. The number of deaths caused by high temperatures this summer is still being tallied, but data from just five countries already shows that extra deaths caused by high temperatures are approaching 10,000. However, the organization did not specify which countries the data is from.
In a press release issued from Copenhagen, the WHO European Regional Office stated that Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world, with warming occurring at about twice the global average rate. Rising temperatures can quickly increase disease and death rates and put pressure on health care systems in a short period of time.
Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said that over the past four years, high temperatures have caused more than 200,000 deaths in the WHO European Region.
He stated that deaths caused by high temperatures are not inevitable. Countries should issue early warnings to the public, take measures to lower urban temperatures, ensure access to drinking water and shade, pay attention to high-risk groups, and prepare the health system before temperatures peak.
The agency noted that the WHO regards extreme heat as a recurrent crisis in the European region and is helping countries take response and adaptation measures. These measures include technical guidance and resource packages for the high-temperature and wildfire season in 2026, as well as the new edition of the "Heatwave and Health Action Plan Guidelines."
In addition, the WHO is helping healthcare facilities in the European region improve their capacity to respond to high temperatures through the “Hospital Safety Initiative.” This initiative uses the “Hospital Safety Index” to assess the likelihood that health facilities can remain operational in emergencies. In the past, this index was primarily used to evaluate hospitals' capacities to handle natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, but it is now increasingly used to identify climate-related risks such as extreme temperatures.