In a report published on 12 August 2026, the Government Actuary's Department said its Head of Climate and Disaster Risk, Georgina Bedenham, spoke at an International Longevity Centre UK webinar, "Unpicking the web: climate change and health." The event, co-hosted by ILC UK, the ILC Global Alliance Climate Change Committee and GAD, examined how climate change affects population health and the systems supporting people as they age.

Bedenham described climate change as a compounding risk. Direct impacts cited included flooding and storms leading to injuries and mental health effects, and extreme heat raising the risk of heat-related illness and dehydration. Indirect impacts included disruption to healthcare delivery from infrastructure strain and reduced healthcare budgets due to climate-related effects on economic growth. GAD said it has co-developed a systems map identifying interconnections between climate-related hazards and mortality in the UK.

Other panelists included Professor Liat Ayalon, who presented a Togo case study on older persons, and Professor Torsten Kleinow, who discussed heatwaves and short-term mortality spikes across Europe. The discussion drew on perspectives from South Africa, Bangladesh and Europe.