Heat–health action plans: guidance, second edition

Overview

Extreme heat is an urgent and growing public health threat, driven by climate change and exacerbated by urbanization and population ageing. It increases morbidity and mortality, strains health and social care systems, and disproportionately affects populations at increased risk. Heat–health action plans (HHAPs) are a core public health response, enabling countries to anticipate and prepare for extreme heat, protect populations at increased risk, strengthen health system resilience, and reduce avoidable illness and deaths. This second, updated edition of WHO guidance on HHAPs supports countries in developing, strengthening and implementing such plans at national, regional and local levels. It offers an implementation-oriented framework, structured around eight core elements: governance; heat–health warning system; populations at increased risk; communication; health system resilience; reducing heat exposure; heat–health surveillance; and monitoring, evaluation and learning. The guidance also includes user action briefs for key sectors and a public health message bank to support effective risk communication with the public. It translates accumulated evidence and implementation experience into practical actions, tools and decision points for coordinated heat–health risk prevention and response. While tailored to the WHO European Region, it is adaptable to other contexts.