Heat and public health

Climate change–driven heat could push millions into physical inactivity by 2050, causing up to 700,000 extra premature deaths yearly and billions in productivity losses, especially in hotter low‑ and middle‑income regions.

This report, “Beyond Temperature: A Cultural Context Approach to Heat and Health,” examines how heat-related illness is intensified by the intersection of environmental stress, biological vulnerability, and unequal power relations.

Research on Hurricane Beryl shows recovery workers face extreme, often overlooked heat risk, worsened by power outages and climate change. Tailored safety measures and staffing are needed to protect crews.

This paper combines global fertility data with disaster records for 1950–2023 to estimate fertility responses to climate-related hazards, distinguishing between population disruption (affected-rate exposure) and lethality (death-rate exposure).

Research shows that higher nighttime temperatures during pregnancy may be associated with a higher risk of autism diagnosis in children, according to a new study led by researchers at Tulane University.

Once considered a luxury, air conditioning has become an essential safeguard for nursing home residents. A Ontario-based study published in JAMA Internal Medicine underscores the heightened mortality risk associated with extreme heat in nursing homes.

Rising temperatures are already impacting millions of city dwellers. What is happening and what might be done about it?

With extreme heat a growing challenge for summer sport, University of Sydney researchers are working with Tennis Australia to develop evidence-based tools to keep players safe at the Australian Open.