Heat-health action plans to prevent heat-related deaths—experiences from Switzerland

Abstract

Since the record-breaking temperatures registered during summer 2003, cantonal health authorities in Switzerland have implemented measures to prevent adverse health effects from hot weather and heatwaves. Six cantons in the west of Switzerland and the canton of Ticino have developed heat-health action plans. Such plans integrate and coordinate the actions at different levels among predefined partners. Measures include the communication of health risks, alert systems, and special actions during heatwaves. This report provides an overview of health strategies and analyses of heat-related mortality in Switzerland between 2004 and 2015. Analyses show that heat-health action plans have contributed to the prevention of heat-related deaths after 2003 and during the 2015 heatwave in the warmest regions of Switzerland. However, protecting public health during periods of extreme heat still remains a challenge. The effectiveness of the various measures that have been implemented in the cantons is still not fully understood. The projects aimed at evaluating the health impacts of heat have contributed to raising the awareness of heat-related health risks among cantonal policy makers as well as in the general population in Switzerland.