Evaluation of Information Systems Relevant to Climate Change and Health - Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

Climate change is a continuing, long-term alteration of weather patterns with more frequent and/or more severe extreme weather events which affect human health with heatwaves, increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation, high airborne pollen counts and ground-level ozone. Climate change affects human health through more frequent and/or more severe extreme weather events and increasing climate variability. National information and early warning systems (UV index, heat health warnings, pollen and ozone forecasts) can potentially prompt protective or adaptive measures by the population and thus protect health from environmental factors. For these environmental factors there are national systems which provide information and early warnings (UV index, heat health warning systems, pollen and ozone forecasts). In this reports, the information and early warning systems were evaluated by polling the population, the authorities and the agencies for environment and public health. The result formed the basis for a communication concept. Furthermore, a strategy for the care of old and sick citizens by nursing care providers and office-based physicians was developed that will be viable under extreme weather conditions. The first volume contains an abbreviated and revised version of the final report of the project (Capellaro and Sturm 2015a), while the second volume examines health care structures for old and sick citizens and assembles a strategy to ensure provision of health care in extreme situations such as heatwaves, storms and heavy rain.