WHO releases updated heat-health action plans guidance

Berlin, June 11 (IANS) The World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) on Thursday released its updated Heat-Health Action Plans Guidance, providing a scientific framework for governments worldwide to organise heat protection measures effectively.

In a press release, WHO/Europe said the new guidance provides evidence-based recommendations around eight core elements, including improving local heat-warning systems and strengthening risk communication with vulnerable groups, Xinhua news agency reported.

Compared with the first WHO guidance published in 2008, the new version incorporates the latest findings from research and practice, it said.

According to the press release, extreme heat is contributing to a rising number of heat-related health problems and premature deaths worldwide each year. Cardiovascular diseases, in particular, occur more frequently or worsen under the influence of heat. Meanwhile, urbanisation and the growing proportion of people at increased risk, including older people and those with pre-existing health conditions, are making prolonged heatwaves a growing threat to public health.

“Europe is warming faster than any other continent … More than 200,000 people across Europe have died from heat in just the last four years. We can prevent these deaths with the right systems in place,” said WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Henri P Kluge wrote on X.

“Heat is a silent killer, but it is not an inevitable one,” he said, adding that the new guidance provides authorities with a clear roadmap for building heat preparedness systems that save lives.

“Our ambition is bold: zero heat-related deaths. We have the knowledge. We have the roadmap. Together, we can achieve it, he noted.

WHO/Europe said that most premature deaths due to extreme heat in Europe have occurred in Italy, followed by Spain, Germany and Greece, while Greece has recorded the highest number per million inhabitants. Data from Germany’s Robert Koch Institute showed that Germany recorded about 2,500 heat-related deaths in 2025, with older people and those with pre-existing conditions particularly affected.

–IANS

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