Health systems in the European Region of the World Health Organization (WHO) are failing to adapt to increasingly frequent heatwaves and the economic consequences of this lag are growing. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
“Health systems are not adapting fast enough and the economic costs associated with this lag are growing“, he said in response to a question about whether Europe is adapting to the new hot weather conditions.
“Every euro not spent on prevention leads to increased costs for emergency care, hospitalizations and reduced productivity“, the expert explained. He also recalled that, according to estimates by the international insurance company Allianz, by 2030, total GDP losses from extreme heat in France could reach 240 billion USD, in Italy 147 billion USD, and in Germany 131 billion USD.
Kluge stressed that a long-term solution to the problem requires structural changes. “To combat the “urban heat island” effect, cities need more shade, green spaces and cooling centers”, he said. The WHO representative also stressed the need to modernize buildings to protect them from overheating and to permanently adapt working conditions to new climate conditions, not only during periods of extreme heat.
The European Region is one of six WHO regions. It covers 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia, including Russia, Turkey, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.