A lesson for US? Europe saw around 62,000 deaths during record-breaking summer last year

More than 62,000 people died due to the heat last year during Europe’s hottest summer on record. But according to a new study, it has been found that heat is a silent killer, and its victims are vastly under-counted. The study published in the journal Nature Medicine found that 61,672 died in Europe from heat-related illness between May 30 and September 4 last year. 

During this period, Italy was the hardest-hit country, with around 18,000 deaths, followed by Spain with just over 11,000 and Germany with around 8,000. Researchers have discovered that extreme heat disproportionately harmed the elderly and women. 

Record-breaking heat in Europe last summer

Out of these nearly 62,000 deaths, it has been studied that the heat-related mortality rate was 63% higher in women than in men. Age has also played a crucial factor with the death toll increasing significantly for people aged 65 and over. While talking about the new findings, an epidemiologist at ISGlobal and the lead author of the study, Joan Ballester said, "It’s a very big number,” reported a US-based media outlet. 

Eurostat, Europe’s statistical office, has tried to quantify the heat wave’s death toll last year by tallying excess deaths — or how many people died more than a typical summer. However, according to Ballester, the study that was published on July 10 is the first to analyze how many deaths last summer were specifically caused by heat.

What did researchers discover?

Researchers analysed the relationship between the temperature and mortality data between 2015 and 2022 for 35 European countries. This represents a total population of 543 million people. They created an epidemiological model to calculate heat-related deaths. 

The unprecedented heat wave resulted in more than 70,000 excess deaths in the summer of 2003, which was a wake-up call, said the researchers.

Are there any lessons for the US? 

According to the US news media outlet citing data tracked by the National Weather Service, heat deaths have surpassed hurricane mortalities in the country by more than 8-to-1 over the past decade.

As per the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 700 people die heat-related deaths each year. One of the physicians and historians at Harvard University, David S. Jones said, "There are a couple of explanations as to why US statistics seem low: the US could be underreporting its numbers, or heat is more lethal in Europe due to the lack of air conditioning, or it could be a combination of the two." 

Further, he explained that just 5% of households in France have air conditioning, for example, compared to nearly 90% in the US.
 While comparing US and Europe's  tackling the heat wave strategy, he said that some people have been "frustrated with the quality of US health data across the board, not just heat, but everything else, for decades.”

Meanwhile, the acting director of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at the US Department of Health and Human Services, John Balbus, said, "The CDC only considers persons whose death certificates clearly declare that heat was the cause of death, rather than a contributing factor, the number is lower." 

"We’re doing the best we can with the resources we have. And we could do more with more capacity, but it’s something that has scientific challenges, and it requires support," he added.

The Biden administration has been planning and working out short-term solutions for heat, said the acting director of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at the US Department of Health and Human Services. The efforts by the administration include more effective advisories and providing air conditioners to low-income families. The administration has also been planning to plant more trees.