Caldo e Salute

HEAT and HEALTH - National plan for the prevention of the effects of heat on health

The National Plan for the prevention of the effects of heat on health was launched by the Ministry of Health in 2005, through specific projects of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (Ccm), and is coordinated by the National Competence Center DPC at the Department of Epidemiology Lazio ASL Roma 1 - SSR Regione Lazio. Since 2009, the Plan has been included in the Central Actions of the CCM Programs and Projects.
Through the creation of a centralized system for forecasting and prevention measures of the effects of heat on health, the project has defined a network of services and activities for public health addressed to social-health workers involved in the response to this risk factor.
The Plan includes the regional capitals and cities with over 250,000 inhabitants, for a total of 34 Italian cities.
The main components of the plan are: city-specific warning systems capable of predicting the occurrence of meteorological conditions that pose a risk to health; national guidelines to support the definition of local prevention activities; identification of susceptible population subgroups; training of social and health personnel on the risks associated with extreme events and on the prevention measures to be adopted; a daily mortality surveillance system (SiSMG) and emergency room visits in sentinel structures that allow for rapid monitoring of the impact of extreme events; recommendations for heat-related health in population subgroups most at risk (elderly, subjects with chronic heat-related diseases, pregnant women, children, outdoor workers). In order to disseminate information and improve the response, the “Heat and health” application allows you to consult the HHWW warning bulletins and view the Ministerial guidelines and prevention services adopted in the cities included in the project (local prevention plans, toll-free numbers, information material). Additionally, for the different population subgroups at risk during heatwaves, you can consult the health recommendations.