Rising temperatures make it increasingly difficult to achieve the global health goals.

If the World Health Organization (WHO) is to be believed, there is a risk of more than nine million climate-related deaths each year by the end of the century, writes Bloomberg.

“All aspects of health are affected by climate change – from clean air, water and soil to food systems and livelihoods,” the WHO said in its annual report on world health statistics released on Friday.

“Further delays in dealing with climate change will increase health risks, undermine decades of improvements in global health and run counter to our collective commitments,” the report says.

Despite the fact that they have historically contributed the least to global emissions, it is African countries, poor nations and small developing island states that face the greatest health consequences of climate change, says the WHO.

Changing temperature and rainfall patterns also threaten to spread mosquito-, tick- and rodent-borne diseases that already kill more than 700,000 people each year to new regions, according to the WHO.

“While some regions face severe drought others struggle with floods and conflicts. Disease outbreaks – including the Marburg virus, cholera and polio – are putting pressure on often limited resources, health personnel and infrastructure,” the health organisation concludes.