Billions of workers suffering from heat stress as temperatures rise

GOVERNMENTS and employers must act urgently to ease the harmful impacts of heat stress on billions of workers worldwide, UN agencies have said.

- 

Both indoor and outdoor workers are increasingly suffering from heatstroke, dehydration, kidney dysfunction and neurological disorders, according to a report published on Friday by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

It comes as climate change drives more frequent and intense heat events.

Daytime temperatures of more than 40C, and even 50C, are becoming more common, while 2024 was found to be the hottest year on record by the WMO.

Drawing on five decades of research and evidence, the UN report said approximately half the global population is now suffering the adverse consequences of high temperatures, threatening both long-term health and economic security.