Budapest.- Climate change and environmental degradation already cause hundreds of thousands of deaths every year in Europe alone, a reality to which the World Health Organization (WHO) called for a decisive reaction from governments, social agents and also the individuals.
“Governments must take action, we must act now,” Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Director General for Europe, told the press, recalling that some 1.4 million people die every year on the continent from environmental factors, such as pollution.
In addition, he indicated that last summer, the hottest ever recorded, more than 20,000 people died in Europe due to extreme temperatures.
Kluge made these remarks during a meeting of European Health Ministers organized by the World Health Organization in Budapest.
It concluded that countries must act to counteract the negative effects of climate change on health and health systems.
Kluge noted that the region is “moving slowly” in meeting the Sustainable Development goals for 2030.
Thus, he said that in Europe 77 million people lack safe drinking water.
“All of us, as individuals, must take action,” he emphasized, stressing the importance of responsible people acting.
More than 30 ministers and secretaries of state from the 54 countries of the region participate in the meeting, who will discuss, among other things, experiences on issues such as good practices in environmental protection in relation to health or the dimensions of change climate.
