‘Woefully unprepared’: extreme heat will double US hospitalizations by 2040, study finds
A new study published in GeoHealth warns that extreme heat could double US hospitalizations by 2040. The research highlights the growing economic and public health burden of climate-driven temperature spikes.
Why it matters
The findings underscore the urgent need for infrastructure and healthcare policy adaptation to mitigate the rising costs and human toll of climate change.
Paramedics from Phoenix fire station 18 transport a resident to the hospital during a heat wave in Phoenix, Arizona, on 20 July 2023. Photograph: Caitlin O Hara/Bloomberg via Getty Images View image in fullscreen Paramedics from Phoenix fire station 18 transport a resident to the hospital during a heat wave in Phoenix, Arizona, on 20 July 2023. Photograph: Caitlin O Hara/Bloomberg via Getty Images Extreme heat ‘Woefully unprepared’: extreme heat will double US hospitalizations by 2040, study finds Sharp rise in hospital visits will in turn drive up annual healthcare costs for heat-related conditions to over $1bn
The Guardian focuses on climate crisis impacts, which is a standard editorial stance for the publication.
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