The extreme heat in the northern hemisphere is putting an increasing strain on healthcare systems, hitting those least capable of coping the hardest, according to the World Health Organization.
The WHO said the heat often worsens pre-existing conditions, saying it was particularly concerned about those with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and asthma as millions of people across three continents endure a sustained spell of dangerously high temperatures and records tumble.
“Extreme heat takes the greatest toll on those least able to manage its consequences, such as older people, infants and children, and the poor and homeless,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“This also puts increased pressure on health systems,” he added in a news conference. “Exposure to excessive heat has wide-ranging impacts for health, often amplifying pre-existing conditions and resulting in premature death and disability.”
Maria Neira, WHO public health and environment chief, said the agency was particularly concerned about pregnant women and people with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and asthma, as air pollution would be part of the problem.
Local and national governments need to identify all those potentially at risk, while hospitals should ensure they have an action plan in place. City officials also need to think through their urban planning to ensure people have refuges in times of extreme heat.
Besides immediate measures to cope with the heat, Neira said that in the longer term, countries need to decarbonize to mitigate the causes of climate change, which is “exacerbating and increasing the frequency, the intensity, and the duration of those heatwaves.”
As the past few weeks of temperature records being broken has demonstrated, high temperatures and heat waves are becoming a part of human life, both in the short term, and more worryingly, in the long term. Our national and local leaders, along with our towns and cities, will have to be more prepared for these episodes that are becoming more common, taking into consideration the heat when it comes to crafting public health policies, urban design, emergency response, and widespread information drives. At the same time, we still need to do what we can to mitigate global warming, as our efforts to decarbonize the planet by adjusting our activities have been proven to be woefully inadequate thus far.*
