Ajankohtaista

To tackle the increasing proliferation of mosquitoes and the associated risk of vector-borne diseases, the city of Barcelona has shifted from conventional mosquito control based on biocides towards preventive measures. Urban storm drains were adapted to reduce stagnant water, thus reducing the number of potential breeding sites of mosquitoes.

More than 100 mayors, deputy mayors and elected representatives from 60 cities in 22 European countries have signed the Cork Call to Action on Climate and Health. They pledged to take local action on nature, food, active travel, housing and preparedness for extreme weather.

Europe’s summer was defined by extreme heatwaves and dry conditions, with a record 52% of the continent exposed to ‘very strong’ heat stress by the end of the season. Record high surface air temperatures were observed across much of Europe, and in particular in western Europe, while record and near-record sea-surface temperatures were observed across European seas. Rivers across Europe also experienced their lowest summer flows in more than thirty years. These are the most recent results from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS).

This report examines how climate change could affect life and health insurers and occupational pension providers. It identifies extreme heat as the leading climate-related liability risk for the sectors. While current financial impacts remain limited due to offsetting factors, widespread public-sector healthcare coverage and portfolio diversification, the risks are expected to increase in the coming decades.

Heat-related illness at mass gatherings, such as major sporting, religious and cultural events, has become a significant public health and operational risk, affecting spectators, attendees, volunteers and workers. The World Health Organization (WHO) has today published a new review of evidence with guidance showing that most of the heat-related illnesses at major events can be prevented or treated on site when timely risk management measures are put in place.

Latest update from the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) on the implementation of the Climate Change and Health Flagship of the Strategy for European Life Sciences.

The first cities report from the Lancet Countdown Europe tracks progress on health and climate change for European cities. Compiled with the contribution of 58 experts spanning 31 academic institutions, the new report explores 28 indicators which monitor the health impacts of climate change across five domains.

On June 25th, the EU funded REGILIENCE+ project, funded in relation to the EU Mission on Adaptation, launched its Open Training Session (OTS) series, Contributing to Climate Resilience, with a first webinar focusing on agriculture. The five-webinar series is designed to support regional and local authorities (RLAs) and supporting organisations by promoting knowledge exchange, disseminating tools, solutions and case studies, and fostering dialogue and peer learning across sectors to strengthen climate resilience. To see the webinar recording on the website, please accept cookies.

The paper published in Eurosurveillance highlights the growing threat of mosquito-borne diseases in Europe - including dengue, chikungunya and West Nile virus infection - driven by climate and environmental change, international travel and the expanding range of disease-carrying mosquitoes. Although measures such as removing breeding sites, applying larvicides and insecticides, using personal protection and piloting sterile-insect techniques are available, their implementation is hindered by fragmented governance, limited evidence on cost-effectiveness and safety, differences in national regulations, environmental and health concerns, and increasing insecticide resistance. The authors call for sustained investment in surveillance and research, alongside locally adapted, evidence-based and integrated mosquito-control strategies coordinated across local, national and EU levels through a One Health approach involving public health, veterinary, environmental and urban-planning sectors.

After the large increase in mortality due to the heatwaves in June and July 2026 in Europe, the European Regional Hub of the Planetary Health Alliance and more than 80 organisations have signed the European Declaration on Heat and Health, calling on the EU to put health at the centre of its climate policy. The declaration calls for legally binding adaptation obligations, measurable health targets, and a European Heat-Health Action Plan with an emergency fund for hospitals, care homes, nurseries and schools.

Longer, warmer summers are raising the risk of foodborne illness, vibriosis, and mosquito- and tick-borne diseases across Europe. ECDC is calling for closer cross-border and cross-sector cooperation, noting that only about half of EU member states currently have a national climate change adaptation plan.

To improve preparedness and response, the EU Health Security Committee has issued a set of recommendations in its latest opinion, including : - Comprehensive, up-to-date Heat-Health Action Plans with a particular focus on vulnerable populations and those with specific needs - timely alerts and exchanges amongst national authorities and at European level - evidence-based decision-making to protect children, workers exposed to heat and ahead of public events - support for healthcare professionals including training for recognising and managing heat-related illnesses whilst ensuring optimising care for all - public risk communication and guidance including multilingual heat-health advice for tourists and seasonal, cross-border and transport workers

As a new heatwave hits Europe and many countries worldwide experience record-breaking temperatures, a new policy brief has been published on 'Protecting mental health from extreme heat: Recommendations for policy and action', developed by United for Global Mental Health in collaboration with Climate Cares (University of Oxford and Imperial College London) and SPARK Lab NYC (Columbia University).

As heatwaves in Europe become longer and more intense, ECDC is launching an updated data visualisation that predicts where the risk of being infected by Vibrio bacteria could be greatest.

Climate scientists are warning that the 2026–27 El Niño is now virtually certain, with all seasonal forecasting systems contributing to the Copernicus Climate Change Service pointing to its development. Forecasts also indicate a high probability that the event will become very strong, with some models suggesting it could reach unprecedented intensity.

Heat Health Action Plans (HHAPs) are used across Europe to coordinate public health responses during extreme heat events. However, there is still limited evidence on how effective the measures within these plans are at reducing deaths and illness. A new case study published in the Observatory and developed by RIVM addresses this gap, outlining the evaluation methodology and presenting key lessons learned.

Extreme heat is reshaping sports and sport governance faster than many events are ready for. In this article, experts set out what’s at stake, what the science says, and how we can combine knowledge and coordination mechanisms from pitch-side protocols to crucial heat-health action plans – connecting heat science to the people making decisions on worker safety, audience protection, to every single sport.

This introductory level e-learning course showcases the importance of evaluating social and behavioural interventions for infectious diseases. It explores different types of evaluation and their purposes, how evaluations can provide actionable insights for public health, and identifies core frameworks for structuring effective evaluation plans.

BlueAdapt recently published the BlueAdapt One Health Framework which outlines how BlueAdapt can support effective and equitable policymaking to protect human health from climate change and pollution in coastal environments across Europe.

On 11 June, WHO/Europe launched 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.

#HandleTheHeat is a European campaign calling for climate-ready hospitals that protect both health workers and patients from the growing impacts of extreme heat. The campaign raises awareness of heat-related risks, promotes practical resilience measures, and advocates for stronger workforce protection and climate adaptation across healthcare systems.

As the implementation of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda on Health and Climate Change continues, the European Commission has made €168 million available under Horizon Europe. Other initiatives supported by the framework programme are also delivering.

Drawing on the CLIMOS Risk Factor Analysis (Danyang et al., 2026; available online at RFA), which examined 700 socio-economic, climatic, and environmental variables, this brief translates evidence from multiple interacting variables into a policy-oriented framework for interpreting leishmaniasis risk. The findings suggest that no single driver dominates across settings: socioeconomic and vulnerabilityrelated factors are often central, climate contributes variably, and risk profiles differ between and within countries. Rather than ranking factors or producing predictions, this framework supports structured interpretation of risk to guide targeted prevention.

Published by EU-OSHA, the foresight study explores how climate change and its wider impacts will influence jobs and workers’ safety and health over the next 25 years. By using scenarios to examine possible futures, it supports policymakers and stakeholders to develop smarter occupational safety and health (OSH) policies, and helps create working environments that remain safe and healthy as climate conditions continue to shift.

The Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health - an independent advisory body convened by the WHO Regional Office for Europe - officially published its Call to Action. The document serves as an urgent alert that the pan-European region is warming at approximately twice the global average rate. It demands that governments treat climate change as an active public health emergency, rather than a distant environmental threat.