Hang contributes to the 2025 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change
Assistant Professor Yun Hang, PhD, MS, contributed to the newly released 2025 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report, serving as a co-author and leading analyses within the indicator focused on population exposure to wildfires. Her section draws on her expertise in environmental health, atmospheric science, and satellite-driven exposure modeling.
The Lancet Countdown is widely recognized as a leading global assessment at the intersection of health and climate. Each annual report provides an independent evaluation of progress toward the commitments outlined in the Paris Agreement and is used by entities such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and national governments to inform policy and track accountability. The 2025 report brings together 128 researchers from multiple scientific disciplines and presents a comprehensive assessment of climate trends and health outcomes.
Hang’s work centered on the indicator addressing extreme weather events and health, where wildfires represent a rapidly intensifying global hazard. Working with international collaborators, including researchers at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, she analyzed satellite-derived datasets that monitor wildfire activity and exposure across countries and regions. The analyses produced consistent exposure estimates that support comparisons across diverse geographic, developmental, and socioeconomic settings.
Her contribution provides a global perspective on wildfire exposure that is especially important in regions lacking reliable air quality monitoring. By highlighting the health consequences associated with wildfires, the report enables multidisciplinary experts to identify key risks and communicate the ongoing need for improved public health protection.
Hang’s section of the publication offers audiences a global perspective on wildfire exposure, which is especially important in regions lacking reliable air quality monitoring. By noting the harmful outcomes from wildfires in the report, multidisciplinary experts can identify key risks to our population and provide audiences with the ongoing work needed to improve health.
“It provides accountability, tracking whether societies are moving toward or away from climate resilience,” Hang noted regarding the significance of the report.
Through collaboration with leading experts and the application of rigorous scientific methods, the Lancet Countdown delivers comparable, high quality indicators for health agencies, policymakers, and international organizations. The report translates complex environmental data into actionable insights that support efforts to build healthier and more climate resilient communities.
Hang’s work is funded by NASA through its Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team.