Map of predicted heatwave mortality: Why are older women most at risk?
Researchers have developed an interactive map of Europe depicting the impact of extreme heat on mortality levels, revealing varying degrees of risk for different populations.
This week, four people have died in Italy due to extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius in Rome. Last month, scorching weather killed six tourists in Greece. Experts are predicting another record-hot year due to climate change. However, until today, it has been difficult to assess just how dangerous heatwaves are.
Related
- We are witnessing the hottest summer in history. Weather Warning: Scorching days ahead
- Ukrainian women face increasing rates of domestic violence, reports indicate
- Study: Glaciers in Alaska’s icefield are melting at an "incredibly worrying" rate
- State Forests issue warning of tapeworm infestation risk
- India’s low-cost airline allow women to choose gender of passengers next to them
New way to warn of deadly heatwaves in Europe
A new tool has been developed to predict the probability of death during heat waves in various European locations. It utilises data based on age and gender. Forecaster.health, launched on 16 July, is the first publicly available pan-European platform to forecast the actual risk of heat-related mortality for different demographic groups, Euronews reports.
According to researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), approximately 70,000 people died from heat-related causes in Europe during the summer of 2022. Now, the ISGlobal team utilised past mortality data and combined it with weather forecasts to create a unique map aimed at saving lives.
Older women are most at risk of heat-related problems
"Until now, temperature warnings have been solely based on the physical information of weather forecasts, and therefore, they ignore the differences in vulnerability to heat and cold among population groups," Joan Ballester Claramunt, researcher at ISGlobal, explains.
Euronews Green adds that the Barcelona researchers' system "changes this paradigm" by shifting the focus from meteorology to epidemiology, the study of disease and other public health issues.
Many factors influence our susceptibility to the adverse effects of heat, including sex and age. Marcos Quijal-Zamorano, a researcher at ISGlobal and one of the system's authors, explains: "We know, for example, that women are more susceptible to heat than men and that the risk of death for both heat and cold increases with age."
Joan Ballester Claramunt adds: "I'm not 100 per cent sure that all old women are aware that they have more risk than men. And maybe if they knew it, they might change things."
The researcher explained that multiple factors contribute to this phenomenon. One critical element is socioeconomics. Women typically have lower salaries, resulting in fewer resources, such as air conditioning, to protect themselves. Additionally, women are more likely to be widowed and live alone, which increases their isolation and reduces their access to help.
Source: euronews.com
