Heat Action Day 2026: WHO Presents New Guidance for Health-Related Heat Action Plans

Heat as a Health Risk

Heat is considered the greatest climate-related health risk in Germany. Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting. At the same time, there is still a need to raise awareness of the health impacts of extreme heat and of effective protective measures. Heat Action Day brings together stakeholders from politics, science, healthcare, local authorities, and civil society to further advance heat-related health protection.

New WHO Guidance Presented

On the occasion of Heat Action Day, the WHO Regional Office for Europe in Berlin is presenting the new guidance for heat action plans to protect health. The publication updates and expands the previous WHO guidance from 2008. It is based on new scientific evidence on the health effects of heat, practical experience from heat action planning, and an analysis of previous recommendations.

The new guidance introduces an updated framework for health-related heat action plans with eight core components. It also provides concrete measures, decision-support tools, and practical recommendations for planning, coordinating, and implementing heat protection strategies. The goal is to support decision-makers and health professionals in developing evidence-based strategies to protect populations from extreme heat.

Contribution by Helmholtz Munich

The update of the guidance was coordinated by the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health in Bonn and developed with the involvement of numerous international experts. Dr. Franziska Matthies-Wiesler from the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Munich contributed as a co-author to the conceptual development of the guidance and to the drafting of individual chapters.

“Through this combination of scientific evidence and many years of international practical experience in heat action planning, the updated WHO guidance is a valuable support for decision-makers and public health professionals in climate adaptation and provides a timely complement to existing recommendations for planning and implementation, including in Germany,” says Franziska Matthies-Wiesler.

For Dr. Alexandra Schneider, Deputy Director of the Institute of Epidemiology and Head of the “Environmental Risks” Research Group at Helmholtz Munich, the publication sends an important signal: “Every heatwave costs preventable lives and places a burden on health systems worldwide. With the new guidance on heat action planning, the WHO sends a strong message: protection from heat must be an integral part of public health strategies.”

Information and Materials

The focus of Heat Action Day 2026 is joint preparedness for extreme heat. Across Germany, information events, expert forums, networking activities, and other initiatives will take place. Organizations, municipalities, and individuals are invited to participate with their own activities and help raise the visibility of heat-related health protection.

Further information on Heat Action Day and materials on heat protection are available at hitzeaktionstag.de and hitze.info.