Tackling the Complex Links between Climate Change, Conflict, and Health
Publisher: British Medical Journal
Author(s): Barbora Šedová and Andrew Haines
Date: 2025
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Causes, Gender, Public Health
Climate and conflict seriously threaten human health. From 1995 to 2015, more than 10 million child deaths were attributed to conflict, while women of reproductive age in high intensity conflict zones experienced mortality rates three times higher than those in peaceful areas. Additionally, over 60 000 heat related deaths occurred in 32 European countries during both the exceptionally hot summers of 2022 and 2024, with women substantially more affected than men. Beyond direct loss of life, climate and conflict hazards threaten health indirectly, such as by damaging health infrastructure, disrupting supply chains, threatening the safety of health workers, as well as by reducing access to food and essential services, including water and sanitation—escalating the risk of undernutrition and spread of infectious diseases.