Description

Climate services for health are an emerging technical field for both the health and climate sectors. The "Climate Services for Health Case Study" publication profiles 40 country-based programmatic examples that help readers better understand what, how and why health-tailored climate services can support the optimal design of health solutions – and ultimately health systems – that are responsive and resilient to climate risks. It shows the vast range of knowledge and tools being co-developed to improve the management of health risks related to climate variability and change.

One among the diverse case studies discusses the need to find the right thresholds to trigger action in heat wave early warning systems in Spain. A new approach aims at determining heat-related mortality trigger temperatures as a key element. An example presented of such a trigger for the city of Madrid for the study period was set at a maximum daily temperature of 34°C, which coincided with the 82nd percentile of the maximum daily temperature series for the summer months (i.e. June–September). Considering this type of information (e.g. updated climate data) in prevention plans could significantly reduce heat-related mortality and produce significant cost saving.

 

Reference information

Websites:
Contributor:
World Health Organization
World Meteorological Organization

Published in Climate-ADAPT Dec 14, 2020   -   Last Modified in Climate-ADAPT Mar 5, 2024