Citation

Longden T, Quilty S, Haywood P, Hunter A, Gruen R. Lancet Planet. Health 2020; 4(5): e171.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30100-5

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

National mortality records in Australia suggest substantial under-reporting of heat-related mortality. Less than 0·1% of 1·7 million deaths between 2006 and 2017 were attributed directly or indirectly to excessive natural heat (table). However, recent research1 indicates that official records underestimate the association at least 50-fold.

Understanding the degree to which environmental factors affect human health is important if the impact of climate change is to be fully appreciated. As severe environmental events become more common, correct reporting and attribution is needed for effective evidence-based responses and to guide local, national, and global adaptation.

The issue of under-reporting death from heat parallels cases of lightning strikes, in which the direct cause (eg, a falling tree branch or the collapse of a building on fire) is reported without any reference to the indirect cause (ie, the initial lightning strike that triggered events culminating in death).

Non-biomedical external factors are often omitted on death certificates,

Language: en