Health · ArchiveClimate Change and Health: Nearly 1 in 4 Deaths Linked to Environmental FactorsAired July 18, 2026 at 11:40 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00The World Health Organization has0:01sounded a major alarm. Nearly one in0:03four deaths worldwide, roughly 24%, can0:06now be linked to environmental factors0:08like air pollution, heat exposure, and0:10shifting disease patterns driven by0:12climate change. Experts say the numbers0:14are only getting worse. The WHO data0:16shows this is a global health crisis.0:19Nearly a quarter of all deaths carry an0:21environmental connection. From0:23respiratory illnesses caused by polluted0:25air to infectious diseases spreading0:27into new territory. A prime example,0:29dengue fever. Once confined to tropical0:32zones, the disease is now appearing in0:34regions where it was rarely seen before,0:36and lasting far longer into the year.0:38Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall0:40are creating ideal breeding conditions0:42for the mosquitoes that carry it. In0:44India, the pattern is unmistakable.0:46Outbreaks that used to flare in the0:47monsoon months are now stretching across0:49seasons. What was once a seasonal threat0:52has become a year-round public health0:53emergency in several states, and the0:55same shift is playing out across Brazil,0:57Vietnam, and parts of East Africa. These1:00are the human faces of a warming planet.1:02Hospitals are seeing more cases of1:04heatstroke, vector-borne illness, and1:06respiratory failure from degraded air1:08quality. All linked to environmental1:10conditions shifting faster than public1:12health systems can adapt. That was1:14Ambika Singh, {comma} hosting an NDTV1:16Lifeline episode dedicated to this1:18crisis, bringing together experts who1:20are calling for urgent action on three1:22fronts: individual awareness, community1:24preparedness, and government policy.1:27Experts say the window for action is1:28narrowing. At the individual level, that1:30means recognizing symptoms early and1:32protecting against mosquito bites. At1:34the community level, better drainage and1:36sanitation. And at the policy level,1:38integrating climate resilience into1:39public health planning. The WHO is1:41clear, without these steps, the death1:43toll will only climb.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗