The extreme heat that has hit the northern hemisphere is putting “increasing pressure” on countries’ health systems, the director of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
“Extreme heat affects those least able to cope, such as the elderly, infants and children, as well as the poor and homeless, and increasing pressure on health systems”noted Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press conference in Geneva.
The official stressed that Europe, Asia and North America are still suffering from an extreme heat wave in some regions, which scientists say due to climate change and the recent resurgence of the El Nino phenomenon.
“Exposure to excessive heat has a wide range of consequences for human health (…) and leads to premature death,” said Tedros Ghebreyesus.
The WHO director also explained that the organization, in conjunction with the United Nations Meteorological Agency (WMO), is helping countries develop heat health plans, particularly to help them better prepare and mitigate the effects of reduce excessive heat on health.
“We are working with the WMO to establish an early warning system,” added the director of the department responsible for public health and environmental affairs at WHO, Maria Neira.
The Spanish doctor explained that the WHO is particularly concerned about the situation of people suffering from cardiovascular disease, diabetes or asthma – especially since extreme heat can cause spikes in air pollution – but also about children, pregnant women and the elderly .
The WHO official explained that national or local authorities need “very robust” systems to ensure they can quickly identify anyone who may be at risk from these meteorological factors, and it is essential that hospitals have plans to prepare for to prepare.
Maria Neira stressed that authorities should advise people not to take to the streets in hot weather, avoid outdoor sports, stay in cool places, take care of the most vulnerable and watch out for possible warning signs of serious accidents, such as dehydration.
According to the WMO, repeated high temperatures at night are particularly dangerous to human health because the body cannot recover from sustained high temperatures, which could lead to an increase in heart attacks and deaths.
Source: DN
