Cities Can Save 725,000 Lives and Cut Healthcare Costs by $70 Billion with Climate Action

Rising chronic disease, aging populations, and inflated care costs are putting health systems under immense pressure worldwide. Climate change adds to this burden, with urban heat mortality projected to rise 45% by 2030. However, practical city-led interventions can ease this pressure while delivering significant health and climate benefits. A report by a global coalition of cities, healthcare companies, and researchers suggests that cities can be a key driving force in leading this change.

Key Takeaways:

• The report found that four bundles of city-led interventions could save 725,000 lives a year and cut $70 billion in healthcare costs.
• Seven in 10 people globally will live in cities by 2050.
• Cities can lead the change by implementing low-cost measures such as urban greening, cool roofs, point-of-use water filtration devices, and everyday healthy lifestyle promotion.
• Cities participating in the initiative include California's Berkeley, Florida's Broward County, and 27 others across 19 countries.
• Water infrastructure upgrades, early warning systems, and awareness campaigns are also notable community resilience measures.
• Preventing health issues rather than just treating them is key to reducing healthcare costs and improving health.

Statistics:

• 725,000 lives could be saved per year through city-led interventions.
• $70 billion in healthcare costs could be cut annually.
• Urban heat mortality is projected to rise 45% by 2030.
• 7 in 10 people globally will live in cities by 2050.
• 11,000 cities globally could benefit from the proposed interventions.
• The annual emissions equivalent of Prague could be avoided through the implementation of the proposed interventions.

Sources:

• Sustainable Markets Initiative Health Systems Taskforce and Resilient Cities Network (no date)
• Mode Economics
• Yale School of Public Health

Sanofi

Bupa

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) website (no date)