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Awareness weeks guide

Extreme heat

Extreme heat

 

Key facts

  • Heat is an important environmental and occupational health hazard. Heat stress is the leading cause of weather-related deaths and can exacerbate underlying illnesses including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health, asthma, and can increase the risk of accidents and transmission of some infectious diseases. Heatstroke is a medical emergency with a high-case fatality rate.
  • The number of people exposed to extreme heat is growing exponentially due to climate change in all world regions. Heat-related mortality for people over 65 years of age increased by approximately 85% between 2000–2004 and 2017–2021.
  • Between 2000–2019 studies show approximately 489 000 heat-related deaths occur each year, with 45% of these in Asia and 36% in Europe.
  • Vulnerability to heat is shaped by both physiological factors, such as age and health status, and exposure factors such as occupation and socio-economic conditions.
  • The negative health impacts of heat are predictable and largely preventable with specific public health and multi-sectoral policies and interventions. WHO has issued guidance for public health institutions to identify and manage extreme heat risks. Action on climate change combined with comprehensive preparedness and risk management can save lives now and in the future.

WHO

UpToDate

Guidelines

Online resources

Reports

Articles

Research

Clinical implications

Extreme heat warnings

Research and policy

E-books

E-journals

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Articles

Clinical implications

Ambient maximum daily temperature and mental health‐related presentations to a western Sydney emergency department, 2015–2019: analysis of hospital and meteorological data
This study should alert health services to the potential effects of high ambient temperatures on the frequency of mental health presentations to emergency departments, particularly by women, for whom the risk rises significantly at temperatures of 29.2°C or more. MJA 15 April 2024

The burden of occupational injury attributable to high temperatures in Australia, 2014–19: a retrospective observational study
The known: High temperatures are associated with increased risk of occupational injury, but the proportion of this burden that is attributable to high temperatures has not been assessed in Australia.
The new: Using the comparative risk assessment approach, we estimated that 2.3% of the national occupational injury burden, assessed as disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs), was attributable to high temperatures. The proportion was largest in tropical regions (3.5%), and in New South Wales and Queensland (2.9%).
The implications: High temperatures increase the risk of workplace injury. Preventive measures tailored to local climatic and working conditions will be required to contain the heat‐attributable burden of disease as temperatures rise further in Australia. MJA 11 December 2023

Impact of extreme heat and heatwaves on children's health: A scoping review
In this scoping review, we searched the literature for how extreme heat events (EHE) and heatwaves impact pediatric health and how children can adapt to these threats. The journal of climate change and health 18 July 2024

Assessing mortality associated with heatwaves in the cool climate region of Tasmania, Australia
These results have health promotion and health protection policy and practice implications for Tasmanian healthcare services, and potentially other cooler climate regions around the world. The journal of climate change and health 4 February 2024

Effects of extreme humidity and heat on Ventricular Arrhythmia risk in patients with Cardiac devices
In patients with preexisting cardiovascular disease, exposure to extreme humidity increased ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) risk, especially among vulnerable individuals, disadvantaged communities, and urban areas with less green space. These findings emphasize the need for policies that address environmental risks in susceptible individuals and communities. JACC: Advances 6 November 2024

Hot weather and heat extremes: health risks
Hot ambient conditions and associated heat stress can increase mortality and morbidity, as well as increase adverse pregnancy outcomes and negatively affect mental health. High heat stress can also reduce physical work capacity and motor-cognitive performances, with consequences for productivity, and increase the risk of occupational health problems. Almost half of the global population and more than 1 billion workers are exposed to high heat episodes and about a third of all exposed workers have negative health effects. However, excess deaths and many heat-related health risks are preventable, with appropriate heat action plans involving behavioural strategies and biophysical solutions. Extreme heat events are becoming permanent features of summer seasons worldwide, causing many excess deaths. Heat-related morbidity and mortality are projected to increase further as climate change progresses, with greater risk associated with higher degrees of global warming. Particularly in tropical regions, increased warming might mean that physiological limits related to heat tolerance (survival) will be reached regularly and more often in coming decades. Climate change is interacting with other trends, such as population growth and ageing, urbanisation, and socioeconomic development, that can either exacerbate or ameliorate heat-related hazards. Urban temperatures are further enhanced by anthropogenic heat from vehicular transport and heat waste from buildings. Although there is some evidence of adaptation to increasing temperatures in high-income countries, projections of a hotter future suggest that without investment in research and risk management actions, heat-related morbidity and mortality are likely to increase. Lancet 21 August 2021

The impact of temperature on non-typhoidal Salmonella and Campylobacter infections: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological evidence
As temperatures rise, the transmission and incidence of enteric infections such as those caused by Salmonella and Campylobacter increase. This study aimed to review and synthesise the available evidence on the effects of exposure to ambient temperatures on non-typhoidal Salmonella and Campylobacter infections. eBioMedicine 16 October 2024

The impact of extreme heat on older regional and rural Australians: A systematic review
What is already known on this subject

  • Heat waves are the most dangerous natural hazard to health in Australia and older people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat.
  • Isolated studies have found that older rural Australians commonly use air-conditioning as a primary cooling mechanism, with cost a major concern.

What this paper adds

  • This study collects the relevant data on the effects of extreme heat for older rural Australians, examining health outcomes, social effects, and health-seeking behaviours and adaptations.
  • Older rural Australians display practical and cost effective health-seeking behaviours which may be beneficial for other populations to learn from.
  • Findings from this study may be relevant for implementing effective heat health warnings, strengthening support services during times of extreme heat and preparing communities for increasing heat waves.
  • Further research needs to examine the social implications of extreme heat events, and its potential role in experiences of loneliness.

Australian journal of rural health 28 February 2024

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Extreme heat warnings

Towards improvement of Heatwave Warnings for Older Adults: The Case of Queensland Australia
This study suggests that in older adults, higher knowledge and perception of heat-related health risk are associated with higher likelihoods of attention to heatwave warnings and adoption of cooling measures.  Journal of primary care 4 November 2024

Heat health alerts and emergency department presentations by people aged 65 years or older, Victoria, 2010–22: a case–crossover analysis
During 2010–22, the Victorian Department of Health issued local heat health alerts during summer when the temperature forecast met or exceeded pre‐defined thresholds (Supporting Information, section 1). The authors analysed associations between these alerts and cause‐specific public hospital emergency department presentations by people aged 65 years or older. MJA 15 July 2024

Temporal changes in temperature-related mortality in relation to the establishment of the heat-health alert system in Victoria, Australia
This study aimed to examine the temporal changes in temperature-related mortality in relation to the activation of the heat-health alert and response system (HARS) in the State of Victoria, Australia. International journal of biometeorology 6 May 2024

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Research and Policy

Building knowledge and capacity for climate change risk management in the health sector: The case of Queensland
In 2019, the Queensland Department of Health and National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility at Griffith University co-produced three resources to support Queensland Hospital and Health Service (HHS) staff to identify and manage present-day and future risks from climate change. The first resource is two templates to be completed in order to develop a risk management plan: the high-level Scan Cycle template, and the Detailed Cycle template for evaluation of serious risks requiring urgent action. Second, the Guidelines lead the user through the process. Third, an Almanac provides supporting information and links to additional resources. Together, these resources deliver a comprehensive set of tools, known as the ‘Guidance’, to support and guide HHS staff to address their climate change risks. A programme of training workshops was carried out throughout Queensland, taking staff from all HHS sectors through the templates and providing opportunity for in-depth discussion of their risks. Some gaps in the Guidance were identified in the workshops, for example the need to include humidity in the climate scenarios for Queensland’s subtropical and tropical environments, and to consider system-wide interdependencies when identifying effective adaptation strategies for the highly complex HHSs. Some barriers to effective utilisation of the Guidance include, for example its complexity balanced against the time available to staff. The Guidance is an effective tool to promote and guide adaptation action, but in itself is insufficient – it requires senior management support and financing, and possibly regulatory reporting requirements, in order to properly fulfil its role. Climate risk management 19 August 2024

Heat exposure, preterm birth, and the role of greenness in Australia
Results of this large birth cohort study suggest that extreme heat exposure was adversely associated with preterm birth (PTB), with greenness playing a moderating role. Increasing greenness levels in residential communities could prevent heat-associated PTBs. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating heat mitigation strategies and improving green space in urban planning and public health interventions. JAMA 26 February 2024

Tracking climate adaptation in hospitals: An inventory of structural measures
This paper critically examines climate adaptation action taken in the health sector. Climate risk management 5 October 2024

Measuring community heatwave resilience: A comprehensive framework and tool
This article presents the first comprehensive, multi-sector heatwave resilience measurement framework and associated tool, available for use at the community or city neighbourhood scale. Climate risk management 24 October 2024

ClimaWATCH: A new interactive tool for community heat-health vulnerability assessments
Chief heat officers, public health officials, philanthropic organizations, and others can use ClimaWATCH to develop data-driven, tailored heat action plans to address the needs of different vulnerable populations effectively and equitably, prioritize interventions based on their potential for impact, and improve community and health system resilience to extreme heat. The journal of climate change and health 3 November 2024

Health risks of climate change in Australia: An umbrella review
The most frequently reported climate change related risks in Australia were heat and bushfires, followed by floods and droughts, with a limited number of studies on cyclones and rising sea levels.  The journal of climate change and health 20 September 2024

Assessing heat vulnerability and multidimensional inequity: Lessons from indexing the performance of Australian capital cities
Highlights

  • Forms a heat vulnerability index using socio-demographic, health, and environmental data.
  • Validated the heat vulnerability index against heat-related mortality data.
  • Finds higher heat urban exposure with varying sensitivity and capacity shaping vulnerability.
  • Identifies vulnerable groups: Indigenous, low English proficiency, and transit commuters.
  • Offers targeted strategies to boost climate resilience and thermal equity in Australian cities.

Sustainable cities and society 15 November 2024

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E-books

This is just a sample of the e-books the library subscribes to – you will need your library login

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E-Journals

This is just a sample of the journals the library subscribes to – you will need your library login

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