Lancet Countdown 2024: Action Needed to Protect Health in the Face of Climate Change

Prioritizing Heat Protection

A key recommendation of this year’s German policy brief is to intensify efforts to protect public health from heat. The report highlights that particularly vulnerable groups – including older adults, pregnant women, children, and the socially disadvantaged – face heightened risks from heat exposure. While heat adaptation measures, such as national heat awareness days and regional action plans, are already in place, major challenges persist. Social factors like financial disadvantage and limited health literacy increase individual heat risks, especially in urban “heat hotspots.” The impact is also significant in the workforce: employees in physically demanding roles, particularly in construction, experienced substantial work-hour losses in 2023 due to heat.

Scientific Recommendations

Experts in Germany recommend cross-sectoral adjustments to legal frameworks, targeted prevention measures that consider social factors, and efforts to enhance “heat resilience” among both the general public and professionals in affected sectors. Here’s what scientists at Helmholtz Munich say:

“The implementation of early warning systems for extreme weather events and the promotion of green infrastructure in urban areas are particularly important to minimize the health risks caused by high temperatures. It is not just about responding to emergencies, but taking preventative measures to protect the population from the foreseeable consequences of climate change. Human lives are at stake. Recent studies on health impacts to heat exposure underline that further political action is essential.”

Prof. Annette Peters, Director at the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Munich

“Incorporating the role of air pollution on high-temperature days or during heat waves is essential for effective climate adaptation. This is particularly crucial for health-focused heat action plans aimed at protecting vulnerable populations and areas that are heavily impacted by heat.”

Dr. Alexandra Schneider, Deputy Director at the Institute of Epidemiology and Head of the Environmental Risks Research Group at Helmholtz Munich

“Heat disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, and its impacts differ based on social context. To mitigate these inequalities, targeted measures are necessary that take into account both specific heat-related stresses and individual living conditions. Such strategies can help reduce heat-related deaths and illnesses, while also relieving pressure on the healthcare system.”

Dr. Franziska Matthies-Wiesler, Scientist at the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Munich and the Centre for Planetary Health Policy (CPHC)