Climate change threatens health: Doctors demand immediate adjustments!

Erlangen untersucht mit dem Projekt AdaptNet die Gesundheitsfolgen des Klimawandels und entwickelt Anpassungsstrategien.
With the adaptet project, Erlangen examines the health consequences of climate change and develops adaptation strategies. (Symbolbild/MW)

Climate change threatens health: Doctors demand immediate adjustments!

Erlangen, Deutschland - When you stroll through the streets of Nuremberg today, you can feel the consequences of climate change in every corner. Extreme weather events such as heat waves and heavy rain are now part of the new reality. These changes not only bring about challenges for the environment, but also for the health system. The University Hospital Erlangen has dealt intensively with these topics and, with his project adaptnet, gives answers to pressing questions. here in particular, in particular, it becomes clear, Chronically ill and children are particularly at risk.

Main medical and specialist care is faced with new challenges when it comes to recognizing climate -related clinical pictures and treating them accordingly. There is a lack of systematic knowledge, instructions for action and structural measures. The project, supported with around 1.2 million euros by the Federal Joint Committee, aims to develop concrete adaptation strategies for medical care to climate change.

The climate toolbox as a solution

One of the innovative solutions of the project is the climate toolbox. This toolbox includes online training, checklists for extreme weather locations, power outages and heat waves as well as personalizable information materials. Not only does emergency planning for doctor's practices improve, but also impart knowledge about climate change -related changes. The toolbox was tested in collaboration with home and specialists in the Health Network Que Nuremberg, and the feedback shows promising results.

But that's not all. A transfer guide is intended to ensure that the successful climate toolbox is also used in other cities such as Hamburg, Cologne or Munich. For doctor's practices who are also interested in the toolbox, there is the possibility to contact the project team.

climate and health goals in Germany

The need for action is clear, because the German climate adaptation strategy 2024, which was decided in December of last year, has for the first time set measurable goals for climate adjustment in Germany. This strategy divides into seven clusters and aims to strengthen the resilience of the health system and the infrastructures. Noven goals are, for example, improving the resistance of the soil compared to the consequences of climate change and the preservation of water resources.

The implementation takes place by a total of 33 destinations and 45 sub -goals, which are to be mostly reached by 2030. Here, too, measurable indicators are used to ensure that progress is visible and transparent. An example is the recovery of natural flood areas, which benefits not only the water management, but also to the health of the population.

The challenges are great and time is pushing. It remains to be hoped that the common efforts of health and environmental actors in Bavaria and beyond the quality of life of people can improve.

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OrtErlangen, Deutschland
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