‘No further delays’: WHO chief urges leaders to act amid Europe’s deadly heatwave
With soaring temperatures in Europe taking a toll on human health, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged world leaders to “prioritise investment in climate-resilient health systems.”
Published on 24/06/2026 - 14:15 GMT+2
With dozens of people in Europe dying from heat-related causes in recent days, the WHO chief said there cannot be “further delays” for climate action.
“Leaders must prioritise investment in climate-resilient health systems, while also accelerating climate action and mitigating the drivers of the climate crisis,” Tedros said on X.
To protect people, WHO is urging authorities to make cities cooler, ensure access to water and shade, check on those most at risk, and prepare health systems before temperatures peak.
The European Region is the fastest-warming region globally. In the past 4 years alone, heat has claimed more than 200,000 lives, while heat-related mortality has risen by 30% over the past 20 years.
“Temperatures across Europe are rising at roughly twice the global average rate, increasing the likelihood and severity of extreme heat in the future,” Tedros added.
With heat putting stress on human bodies, “heat is no longer only a weather story,” WHO said in an Instagram post. “It is a health emergency.”
