WHO/Europe urges stronger health planning as Europe faces rising heat threat

OSLO, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Data from five European countries has indicated nearly 10,000 excess deaths due to heat this summer, the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) said Thursday, warning that extreme heat poses a growing health challenge and calling for better preparation from individuals and governments.

Describing Europe as the fastest-warming continent in a press release, with temperatures rising at around twice the global average rate, the agency said the deadly higher temperatures had also placed sudden pressure on essential services, including health and social care.

WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Henri P. Kluge said heat had claimed more than 200,000 lives across the region over the past four years, while heat-related mortality had risen by 30 percent over the past two decades.

"But heat deaths are not inevitable," Kluge said, calling for early warnings, cooler cities, more access to water and shade, support for vulnerable people and better-prepared health systems before temperatures peak.

WHO/Europe said it has developed a range of tools and public health advice to help countries prepare for, respond to and adapt to what it recognizes as a recurring climate crisis across the region.

The measures include technical guidance and a resource package on heatwaves and wildfires, as well as new guidance on Heat-Health Action Plans.

WHO/Europe has also produced five action briefs for different sectors and a public health message bank offering practical advice on how individuals can protect themselves and assist others during hot weather.

The guidance emphasizes the need to reach vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities through digital, traditional and community-based communication channels.

Regarding the extreme heat-related pressure on health facilities that may be ill-designed to cope with higher temperatures, WHO/Europe said its Hospital Safety Initiative is supporting hospitals across the region by using the Hospital Safety Index to assess the likelihood that health facilities will remain operational during emergencies.

Traditionally used to assess preparedness for hazards such as earthquakes and floods, the index is increasingly helping countries identify risks associated with extreme temperatures, including threats to power supplies, cooling systems, water availability and the well-being of patients and staff. Enditem