A call to action on climate change: The 2018 Lancet Countdown Report
The Lancet Countdown provides a global monitoring system to track the health aspect of the impacts of, and the response to, climate change. It tracks 41 indicators across five domains: climate change impacts, exposures, and vulnerability; adaptation, planning, and resilience for health; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; finance and economics; and public and political engagement.
The 2018 report concludes:
- Climate change presents a high level of risk for the current and future health of populations across the world.
- A lack of progress in reducing emissions and building adaptive capacity is threatens both human lives and the viability of health systems.
- While initial steps have been taken towards a low-carbon economy, the overall nature and scale of our response will determine health for societies for centuries to come.
- A more widespread understanding of climate change as a health issue is crucial to the delivery of an accelerated response.