Press release No. N 018 of 6 April 2022
- Dehydration led to eight times more deaths in 2020 than in 2000
- Number of heat-related treatments and deaths above average in 2003, 2015 and 2019
WIESBADEN – Climate change is not only a danger to nature and the environment but can also be a growing health risk for humans. In the context of a changing climate, excessive UV radiation and sunburns, for example, can be possible causes of diseases such as skin cancer. The number of skin cancer treatments in Germany has almost continuously increased in the last 20 years. In 2020, 81% more people received in-patient treatment for skin cancer than in 2000. This is reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) to coincide with World Health Day on Thursday (7 April), which this year focuses on climate and health protection. About 4,000 people died of skin cancer in 2020. This is an increase of 53% compared with 2000, when there were 2,600 such deaths.
