Finland failing to recognise deadly climate threats, warns disaster medicine expert

Finland is not adequately identifying heat-related deaths and other climate-driven health risks that are already killing tens of thousands across Europe, according to the country’s first adjunct professor in disaster medicine, appointed at the University of Oulu.

Niilo Ryti, a doctor of medical science, stated that while Finland has implemented adaptation measures, extreme heat continues to claim lives at high rates—with global research linking roughly 9% of all deaths to outdoor temperatures. “Even with preparedness efforts, the mortality from major heatwaves has not shown a clear decline,” Ryti said. “Cold-related deaths also remain globally high.”

The new adjunct professorship, a first in Finland, will focus on climate-induced health threats, leveraging advanced data analysis to pinpoint vulnerable groups. Researchers are using a dataset of over 150 million deaths from more than 1,000 cities worldwide, applying time-series modelling to track temperature-related mortality. “We can already, in theory, send tailored warnings to different risk groups—via mobile apps, for example,” Ryti noted.

Current medical training in Finland covers temperature-related health effects only fragmentally, he added, leaving clinicians ill-equipped to recognise cases linked to extreme weather. The World Meteorological Organization ranks extreme heat among the deadliest weather-related hazards, responsible for 93% of such deaths in Europe. The 2003 European heatwave killed over 70,000 people; in 2022, estimates suggested 62,000 heat-related fatalities.

The University of Oulu’s initiative—among the few of its kind outside Harvard University—aims to strengthen collaboration between healthcare providers, authorities, and tech developers to improve forecasting and response. “Major disruptions and extreme weather already affect Finland,” Ryti said. “We need robust research, better predictive tools, and functional partnerships.”