How do we deal with heat, Ms. Ragettli?
Text: Martina Ragettli
Summer days where the temperature gauge reads well over 30°C are no longer a rarity. What can we do to mitigate the consequences? Answers from Basel University epidemiologist Martina Ragettli.
High temperatures put a strain on the body and have a negative impact on health. They pose a particular risk to older people, those in need of care or with chronic diseases, and during pregnancy. For example, studies show that hot weather leads to a worsening of chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, an increase in mental health issues, a fall in workplace productivity, and a greater risk of premature births. In a survey carried out by Swiss TPH on behalf of the Swiss federal government in summer 2023, over half of respondents over the age of 50 said they perceive heat as a burden.
In Switzerland, the risk of heat-related fatalities increases at daily maximum temperatures of just 25 degrees Celsius and above, increasing sharply with every additional degree. The impact of heat on mortality is observed after just one hot day and not only in the case of persistent heat. Warm nights represent an additional health burden for older people in particular.
To protect public health from heat, action is needed on three levels: Firstly, the public and healthcare stakeholders should be made aware of possible health impacts and provided with information on correct conduct in the event of hot weather. For example, this includes recommendations for high-risk groups, such as avoiding physical exertion during the hottest time of day, deflecting heat from the body, drinking plenty of fluids and eating light foods.
Secondly, acute heatwaves necessitate special measures including heat early-warning systems and the protection of particularly vulnerable people — for example, by adapting the working hours of specific occupational groups or keeping a closer eye on older people. Thirdly, there is a need for long-term efforts when it comes to urban planning and buildings.
Effective heat protection requires various actors to work together. In some cantons in the west of Switzerland and in the canton of Ticino, the cantonal medical offices already coordinate the preventive and adaptation measures of various authorities and institutions in the health and social services sector on the basis of heat-health action plans.
These plans were introduced soon after the record-breaking summer of 2003 and serve to regulate the implementation of measures before and during the summer season. If communication channels and mechanisms are mapped out in advance, it is possible to act quickly when a heat wave is announced — and research shows that regions that have heat-health action plans record fewer deaths due to extreme heat.
It is hard to predict how future climate change will impact our everyday lives and how we will adapt to worsening heat stress.
The fact is that adaptation is progressing at a slower pace than global warming. Dealing with high temperatures and protecting public health will require solutions not only in the health sector but also when it comes to the design of our cities, buildings and everyday working lives. Interdisciplinary collaboration is therefore vital.
Martina Ragettli is an epidemiologist at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH). She carries out research into the health impact of climate change and ways of adapting to worsening heat stress.
More articles in this issue of UNI NOVA (May 2024).