Germany: Patient advocates demand heat deaths be officially recorded

Patient advocates in Germany are demanding that heat be officially recognized as a cause of death on death certificates, citing a significant undercount of heat-related fatalities.

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the consequences of climate change must "finally be given a face."

Eugen Brysch, chairman of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, stated that the consequences of climate change must "finally be given a face." He criticized the Robert Koch Institute's (RKI) current method of calculating heat deaths using statistical models and artificial intelligence, arguing it obscures the true numbers. Brysch insists that recording heat as a cause of death on certificates, specifying whether it occurred in a hospital, nursing home, or at home, would "unflinchingly expose the consequences of a government unprepared for climatic changes."

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the RKI calculates the number of heat deaths using statistical models and artificial intelligence.

The RKI estimates 12,500 heat-related deaths this year. However, medical professionals like Uwe Janssens, medical director of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine, believe this figure is too low. Janssens noted that death certificates for the very elderly often list organ failure, but heat often plays a significant contributing role. He estimates there are "certainly several thousand more deaths" than officially recorded, explaining that the elderly often have a diminished sense of thirst and may not realize they are dehydrating, leading to fatal kidney failure.

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unflinchingly expose the consequences of a government unprepared for climatic changes.

Janssens also criticized federal and state governments for inaction, pointing out that few emergency rooms are air-conditioned. He highlighted that high temperatures combined with pre-existing conditions, such as cardiovascular, lung, or kidney diseases, are typically the cause of death, which is why heat is not currently listed as a direct cause. The lack of official tracking means the full severity of heatwaves is not reflected in statistics, hindering adequate preparation and response.

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does not reflect the entire drama