00:44 Climate Change Causing a Global ‘Medical Emergency’? A new report in the British medical journal, The Lancet, calls climate change a “medical emergency.”

At a Glance Researchers concluded that the consequences of climate change on human health is and will be devastating.

Extreme weather and altering patterns of infectious disease are just some of the consequences of a warming planet

Others include compromising food security, safe drinking water and clean air.

A rapidly changing climate is creating a global "medical emergency," according to a new report.

Extreme weather, changing patterns of infectious disease and compromised food security, safe drinking water and clean air are just some of the consequences of a warming planet that will impact all aspects of human life in the decades to come, according to the report released by the Lancet this week.

The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change was compiled by researchers from 27 academic institutions, the United Nations and numerous intergovernmental agencies from every continent.

The team tracking the effects and consequences of climate change consists of climate scientists, ecologists, mathematicians, geographers, engineers, energy, food, livestock, and transport experts, economists, social and political scientists, public health professionals and doctors.

The latest report says the consequences of climate change on human health is and will be devastating.

"Climate change is a medical emergency," report co-author Renee Salas, a doctor of emergency medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, told USA Today . "It is truly harming the health of Americans, and especially the most vulnerable ... Children, the elderly, minorities and the poor."

(MORE: UN: 2018 Will Be Earth's 4th Warmest on Record and Earth Will Warm 3 to 5 Degrees by the End of This Century )

Here are some takeaways from the annual report that tracks 41 indicators of progress in health and climate change.

Heatwaves: This is the most concerning trend, according to the report. Millions of people are exposed to heat waves, which can lead to renal problems, heart issues and death.

In 2017, 157 million more people were exposed to heat waves compared to 2000. That's 18 million more than in 2016.

"We're seeing increases in the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves," report co-author Kristie Ebi of the University of Washington, told USA Today. "As our populations age and as they move into cities that have got urban heat islands, we're seeing a large increase in the number of people who are vulnerable to high temperatures."

People living in Europe and the East Mediterranean are more vulnerable than those in Africa and southeast Asia, the report notes.

Heatwaves can also harm people indirectly by killing off livestock, leaving people vulnerable to food shortages, malnutrition and famine.

Floods: Flooding events are becoming more common as the earth warms. Flooding is not only deadly it can also provoke or exacerbate mental health issues and spread infectious diseases.

The report notes that 15 percent of all deaths linked to natural disasters come from flooding.

The researchers say the number of people exposed to floods could increase by 2 billion by 2100.

Droughts: Droughts can lower crop yields and reduce clean water supplies, which can lead to infectious water-borne diseases.

By 2100, the number of people exposed to droughts annually could rise by 1.4 billion, the report notes.

Climate-related diseases: Illnesses like Dengue fever, Zika and skin cancer has risen in recent years and can be linked to climate change.

Other waterborne Vibrio bacteria that can lead to wound infections, sepsis and the stomach flu are also on the rise globally.

“I don’t want people to be surprised when they see cases of what used to be tropical diseases now being found in the United States as a result of changing climate,” Gina McCarthy, a professor of public health at Harvard and a former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Obama administration, told the New York Times.

Air Pollution: Ninety percent of people living on this planet are breathing air with pollution levels above the recommended World Health Organization guidelines.

Between 2010 and 2016, concentrations of air pollution rose in nearly 70 percent of cities worldwide. Some 7 million have died as a result of air pollution.

Exposure to air pollution can lead to lung and heart complications.

Climate migration: As people are forced to migrate from their homes because of rising seas and other climate-related issues, a slew of medical problems can arise.

Some of these include hypothermia, burns, cardiovascular issues, pregnancy-related complications and hypertension, the report says.

Psychological problems: Millions of people exposed to extreme weather events are experiencing mental health issues. The trauma of a devastating hurricane or flood can have lasting psychological consequences.

Most concerning, the report notes, is the effect heat waves have on mental health. The researchers cite an Australian study that found a link between hot weather and increased rates of suicides.

The study notes that research on the link between climate change and mental health is rather limited at this point.