Nouvelles

The 4th edition of the European Climate and Health Observatory newsletter is here!

Eurofound has completed fieldwork for the 8th edition of its e-survey on Living and Working in the EU.

The International Organization for Migration has joined the European Climate and Health Observatory as a partner.

The World Meteorological Organization Regional Office for Europe has joined the European Climate and Health Observatory as a partner.

On May 22nd, 2025 WHO Europe published a new report on NbS and health. The report highlights the increasing role of NbS in promoting health and well-being while tackling environmental, societal and health challenges. This report will explore how NbS, ranging from local interventions to large-scale policies, can enhance public health, strengthen nature resilience, mitigate risks and support sustainability. It also examines the balance between benefits and potential health risks, offering practical case studies and insights for professionals across the health and environmental sectors.

The risk of dying on hot days has substantially declined since 2010 in the Netherlands. The estimated number of heat-related deaths decreased from 7,000 in the 2000–2009 period to 4,300 in the 2010–2019 period. This is the outcome of a study conducted by RIVM. Since 2010, the National Heatwave Plan has helped people become more aware of the risks associated with heat. According to the researchers, this is a possible explanation for the decrease. The risk of dying on hot days, however, remains higher than average. Therefore, it is still important to remain alert.

On 6–7 May 2025, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) convened an expert consultation in Stockholm to explore how flooding and heatwaves are affecting infectious disease risks and what are the needs for public health preparedness for these events in EU/EEA countries.

Led by BSC researchers, a diverse group of experts from thirteen countries in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa came together to develop proactive measures against vector-borne diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and other insects.

A European consortium of experts with vast experience in climate research, public health, and city planning began work in autumn 2024 to deliver transformative AI-driven solutions that help cities build climate resilience and improve public health outcomes.

The GHR Hackathon 2025 gathered researchers in Montserrat, Spain, to advance R packages essential for climate and health research. Over three days, participants worked on tools for climate data processing, visualisation, and modeling, while also engaging in brainstorming and networking activities.

As the impacts of climate change increasingly threaten global public health, the need for effective early warning systems becomes more urgent. Infectious diseases, especially those sensitive to climatic factors, are changing patterns and appearing in new areas. In response to this growing challenge, the EpiOutlook platform is being developed within the IDAlert project as a climate-sensitive forecasting tool for infectious disease outbreak prediction.

Led by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, a team of researchers has analysed data from over 3,000 WNND cases across 20 European countries, finding that climate change has directly increased the probability of local circulation of WNV in Europe.

Have you say in shaping the European Water Resilience Strategy!

Health systems, including hospitals, are on the frontlines of climate change, bearing the costs of increasing disease burdens and more frequent extreme weather events while simultaneously inadvertently contributing to negative environmental and climate-related impacts

This issue of La Santé en action sheds light on the multiple and complex links between nature and the health (both physical and mental) of individuals, using the latest scientific research on the subject.

The EU-funded INTERCAMBIO project is seeking diverse stakeholders to influence occupational health in the face of climate change, sustainable work practices, and green jobs. The community list welcomes participation from a wide range of backgrounds. To join, visit the website and fill out the form on the ‘Contact Us’ page.

Climate change is impacting almost every aspect of a child’s health and well-being. Direct exposure to climate events, as well as indirect exposure through news and social media about subjects like environmental devastation and government inaction, can further increase stress leading to anxiety, depression and a lack of hope for the future.

The Global Health Resilience group in the Earth Sciences Department at the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC) has three new position available:

The WHO European Centre for Environment and Health (ECEH) in Bonn, Germany is seeking examples of interventions to protect and promote mental health in the face of climate change in the WHO European Region.

The DESTINY project, which aims to which aims to develop AI-driven tools to make evidence synthesis of climate and health research faster, cheaper, and more useful, is hiring for three positions.

Faculty, academics, and course coordinators at public health institutions are invited to participate in a brief 5-15 minute survey assessing climate and health education in public health training.

According to the latest Joint Research Centre (JRC) report on Forest Fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa 2023, the 2023 wildfire season ranks among the EU's worst in over two decades, fuelled by climate change. Fires devastated vast areas, threatening ecosystems, human health, lives and livelihoods. As fire risks rise, Europe must prevent and prepare for intensifying wildfire seasons.

The EEA briefing 'Impacts of heat on health' gives a first EEA state of play on national surveillance for heat-related health impacts. In terms of preparedness, 21 EEA member countries have heat-health action plans in place, and another four National Public Health Institutes are developing such plans.

November 18th was Health Day at COP29 Azerbaijan. In the last few years, the topic of health has gained momentum as a driving force for climate action. In COP29, health is being framed as the human face of climate change and one of the main arguments for urgently acting on climate.

On November 15th, 2024, the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) released independent policy recommendations to shape One Health governance in the European Union. One Health recognizes that human health, animal health, and the health of the environment are interconnected and form a single system that must be treated as a whole.