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Climate change

Heat–health action plans

The elderly are particularly vulnerable to heat (Photo: iStockphoto)

Europe has experienced an unprecedented rate of warming in recent decades. Heat-waves are projected to increase due to climate change, but their health effects are largely preventable.

WHO/Europe recommends countries and regions in Europe to develop and implement heat–health action plans, to prevent, react to and contain heat-related risks to health.

  • An online tool provides medium-term forecasting of heat-waves and can support health services’ planning.
  • An information package provides guidance for policy-makers, health professionals and the public on how to prevent and cope with the health effects of heat-waves.

WHO/Europe supports its Member States in preventing the adverse health effects of heat-waves by providing:

  • technical advice;
  • support in strengthening surveillance systems to better describe climate-related health effects;
  • reliable evidence on heat-related mortality and adaptation;
  • guidance on defining criteria for action;
  • information exchange on monitoring and evaluation of existing adaptation measures.