As five European countries record nearly 10,000 heat-related deaths, WHO/Europe says preparedness must be built into every health system year-round
The WHO European Region is the fastest-warming region on earth, with temperatures rising at around twice the global average rate. Extreme heat is a growing public health threat and health security challenge that is expected to hit harder each year. This summer's toll is still being counted but, already, data from just five countries shows nearly 10,000 excess deaths due to heat.
“Nearly 10,000 excess deaths, and the summer is not yet over,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “This is not a natural disaster and it’s repeating itself every year because too many governments are still treating heat as a weather event rather than a health emergency. The tools to prevent most of these deaths exist. The guidance is published. The evidence is there. What governments do next is a choice, and this summer shows what’s at stake.”
WHO/Europe has developed a range of tools and public health advice to help countries prepare for and respond to extreme heat, including updated Heat-Health Action Plan guidance published in June 2026. The guidance provides an eight-element framework for systematic, evidence-based heat-health action, and is accompanied by sector-specific action briefs and a ready-to-use public health message bank.
