WHO/Europe recommends countries, regions and cities to develop and implement heat–health action plans (HHAPs) – essential tools for countries to prepare for, respond to and mitigate the health impacts of extreme heat.
No longer just an exceptional seasonal phenomenon, extreme summer heat is a critical public health issue amplified by climate change. Not just an inconvenience, it is a silent threat that can affect health, strain infrastructure, overwhelm hospitals, cause suffering and claim lives. Everybody may be affected to some extent, yet the impact of extreme heat is not uniform: certain populations are at increased risk of threats to health from extreme heat.
Older people, infants and young children, pregnant women, people with chronic conditions, people with restricted mobility or cognitive impairment, outdoor workers, athletes and people exercising, tourists, and people attending mass gatherings are disproportionately at risk. So too are migrants, refugees, and people with limited resources, inadequate housing or reduced access to services.
As summer in the WHO European Region gets off to a scorching start, being prepared and knowing how to adapt to the heatwaves ahead, is becoming a lifesaver. A comprehensive and systemic approach to preparation and response to extreme heat is therefore vital.
On 11 June, WHO/Europe will be launching the new Heat–Health Action Plans Guidance. This second edition of the Guidance coordinated by the WHO European Centre for Environment, Climate Change and Health in Bonn, Germany, presents an updated HHAP framework across 8 core elements, highlighting key actions and decision points for planning, coordination, delivery and improvement of HHAPs.
Hotter weather needs better preparedness
HHAPs are structured public health plans that bring together a portfolio of actions and actors across preparedness, warning and response to reduce heat-related health risks through coordinated implementation across different sectors and levels of governance.
Many countries across the European Region and globally have already developed and are implementing HHAPs, which have substantially reduced heat-related health burden. However, several countries still have no plans in place, leaving their people and health systems at risk. This new Guidance will not only support those countries and local authorities developing an HHAP for the first time, it will also help in the review, improvement and strengthening of existing HHAPs across the Region.
WHO Member States committed to the development, update and implementation of HHAPs in the 2023 Budapest Declaration on Environment and Health, which was further reinforced in the Call to Action of the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health. In 2023, the WHO Regional Director for Europe declared the climate crisis and extreme weather a public health emergency. The urgent need for more robust strategies to protect vulnerable populations also prompted the United Nations Secretary-General to issue a global “Call to action on extreme heat” in 2024.
Remember to #KeepCool in the heat
While an HHAP systematically addresses short and long-term interventions to strengthen heat resilience, risk communication to increase public awareness and promote protective behaviours is an important element in reducing the adverse health impacts of heat. Even at the personal level, some simple healthy behaviours can protect us from many of the serious consequences when hot weather arrives.
Heat Action Day on 2 June is a global day for raising awareness of heat risks and sharing simple ways to #BeatTheHeat. WHO/Europe’s annual campaign provides simple and practical guidance for individuals and communities to #KeepCool during hot weather.
- Keep out of the heat. Avoid going out and doing strenuous activities during the hottest time of day. Stay in the shade; do not leave children, dependant adults or pets alone in parked vehicles; and, if possible, spend 2–3 hours of the day in a cool place.
- Keep your home cool. Use the night air to cool down your home. Reduce the heat load inside the apartment or house during the day by using blinds, shutters or curtains, and by turning off as many electrical devices as possible.
- Keep your body cool and hydrated. Use light and loose-fitting clothing and light bed linen; take cool showers or baths; and drink water regularly while avoiding sugary, alcoholic or caffeinated drinks.
- Keep in touch. Check on family, friends and neighbours who spend much of their time alone. People at increased risk of threats to health from extreme heat might need assistance on hot days. If anyone you know is at risk, help them to get advice and support.
Remember: consult a doctor if you feel unusual symptoms, if symptoms persist or if you suspect a fever. If someone has hot dry skin, delirium and/or convulsions or is unconscious, call a doctor or an ambulance immediately.
WHO/Europe’s #KeepCool campaign serves as a reminder that proactive measures, both individual and collective, are essential to safeguard health and well-being in an increasingly warmer world. By understanding the risks, changing our behaviour and looking out for each other, we can both support our health systems and ensure that summer remains a season of enjoyment, not a period of peril.
Ultimately, the Region’s blistering summers are no longer an occasional anomaly; they are a permanent public health crisis fuelled by climate change. As both WHO’s #KeepCool campaign and the new HHAP Guidance emphasize, surviving an increasingly warmer world requires a fundamental shift in both individual habits and community care.