Inequality causing 100,000 extra deaths a year from heat and cold in Europe

"Economic inequality adds more than 100,000 deaths to the vast toll from heat and cold in Europe each year, research has found. Cutting levels inequality to match that of Europe's most equal region, as measured by the Gini index, would reduce temperature-related mortality by as much as 30%, equating to 109,866 people, the study found. The findings come after the EU's Copernicus monitoring project ranked last month as the third-hottest April on record globally, with some countries such as Spain recording their hottest April on record."

"The researchers found high death tolls from heat and cold were associated with several indicators of hardship, such as poverty and the inability to heat a home. As well as lowering inequality within regions, cutting severe material and social deprivation across the continent to the level of central Switzerland, the least deprived region, would result in 59,000 fewer heat and cold deaths, according to the study. Increasing it to the level of south-east Romania, the most deprived region, would result in 101,000 more temperature-related deaths."

"The research is the first to quantify the effect of socioeconomic troubles on the lives lost during Europe's bone-chillingly cold winters and scorchingly hot summers. The researchers said it added weight to calls to target short-term relief to vulnerable groups and, in the longer-term, reduce structural inequality in Europe. It's a two for one, said Blanca Paniello-Castillo, a biomedical scientist at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and lead author of the study."

"If the equity perspective would be more included in policies European, national, local, whatever we would be hitting two goals at the same time. Heat and cold stress the body, leaving it more susceptible to disease and less able to fight it off. Mortality rises sharply when temperatu"

Economic inequality contributes more than 100,000 deaths each year in Europe from heat and cold. Lowering inequality to match the most equal European region by Gini index could reduce temperature-related mortality by up to 30%, preventing about 109,866 deaths. Higher hardship levels, including poverty and inability to heat a home, are linked to elevated mortality from both extreme winter cold and summer heat. Reducing severe material and social deprivation to the level of the least deprived region could prevent about 59,000 deaths, while increasing deprivation to the most deprived level could add about 101,000 deaths. The findings support targeting short-term relief for vulnerable groups and reducing structural inequality over time.

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