- Indicator 1.1: The vulnerability to heat exposure is rising in every WHO region. 42% and 43% of populations older than 65 years in Europe and East Mediterranean are vulnerable.
- Indicator 1.2: The mean global temperature change to which humans are exposed is more than double the global average change, with temperatures rising 0.8°C versus 0.3°C.
- Indicator 1.3: In 2017, an additional 157 million heatwave exposure events occurred globally, representing an increase of 18 million additional exposure events compared with 2016.
- Indicator 1.4: In 2017, 153 billion hours of labour (3.4 billion weeks of work) were lost, an increase of 62 billion hours lost relative to 2000.
- Indicator 1.5: Changes in extremes of precipitation exhibit clear regional trends, with South America and southeast Asia among the regions most exposed to flood and drought.
- Indicator 1.6: Annual frequencies of floods and extreme temperature events have increased since 1990, with no clear upward or downward trend in the lethality of these events.
- Indicator 1.7: Mortality from dengue fever and malignant skin melanoma is still rising in regions most susceptible to both diseases.
- Indicator 1.8: In 2016, global vectorial capacity of dengue was 9.1% ( aedypti) and 11.1% (A. albopictus) above the 1950s baseline. Coastal areas suitable for Vibrio infections in the Baltic and US northeast increased by 24% and 27% from the 1980s. The environmental suitability for Plasmodium falciparum has increased by 20.9% in highland areas of Africa since the 1950s.
- Indicator 1.9.1: 30 countries are experiencing downward trends in crop yields, reversing a decade-long trend that had previously seen global improvement.
- Indicator 1.9.2: Sea surface temperatures have risen in 16 of 21 fishing basins with threats to marine primary productivity expected to follow.
- Indicator 1.10: climate change is the sole contributing factor for thousands of people deciding to migrate and is a powerful contributing factor for many more migration decisions worldwide.
The 2018 Report of the Lancet Countdown 
The Lancet Countdown's 2018 report tracks 41 indicators across five key domains in health and climate change, continuously strengthening its methods, data and analysis. It arrives at three key conclusions:
-
IMPACT: Present day changes in heat waves labour capacity, vector-borne disease, and food security provide early warning of compounded and overwhelming impacts expected if temperature continues to rise.
-
DELAY: A lack of progress in reducing emissions and building adaptive capacity threatens both human lives and the viability of the national health systems they depend on, with the potential to disrupt core public health infrastructure and overwhelm health services.
-
OPPORTUNITY: Despite these delays, trends in a number of sectors see the beginning of a low-carbon transition, and it is clear that the nature and scale of the response to climate change will be the determining factor in shaping the health of nations for centuries to come.
View the full report
The full report is available for download free at www.lancet.com. In order to access it, sign up for a free account with The Lancet.
Indicators and Headline findings:
Climate Change Impacts, Exposures and Vulnerability
Indicators and headline findings
Adaptation Planning and Resilience for Health
Indicators and headline findings
Mitigation Actions and Health Co-Benefits
Indicators and headline findings
Finance and Economics
Indicators and headline findings
Public and Political Engagement
Indicators and headline findings
Introducing the 2018 Report of the Lancet Countdown
Policy Resources
Communication Resources
Support the Lancet Countdown
The Lancet Countdown is an international, multidisciplinary research collaboration which tracks progress on health and climate change, publishing annually in The Lancet.
It is committed to an iterative and adaptive process, working to further develop and strengthen its indicators over time by employing new methods and making use of new data sources. If you and your academic or intergovernmental institution can support this effort and join the Lancet Countdown.
