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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jason P. Samenow, Climate Change Division, US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW (6207J), Washington, DC 20460, 202-343-9327, samenow.jason@epa.gov and Kathy Sykes, Aging Initiative, US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (Mail Code 1107A), Washington, DC 20460.

In the United States, excessive heat events (EHEs) account for more deaths per year on average than hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined. (1) Older adults are particularly sensitive to excessive heat. The trends toward a growing older population and a warmer climate both will act to increase the risk posed by extreme heat events in the future. However, adaptive measures and technologies can potentially lessen adverse health effects and need to be encouraged and adopted.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working with partners in government, academia and the private sector to develop useful information and analyses that can respond to and mitigate excessive heat events. Products from these collaborative efforts have led to decision support and education products. For example, innovative heat/health warning systems were developed for a number of US cities in cooperation with the National Weather Service and the University of Delaware. Theses warning systems are triggered by thresholds related to deteriorating human health, rather than the arbitrary thresholds (e.g. temperature) upon which previous preventive systems relied.

EPA recently collaborated with the CDC, NOAA's National Weather Service, and local governments to develop a guidebook that helps communities evaluate their EHE vulnerability and identify strategies to limit adverse health impacts associated with EHEs. The guidebook features case studies of effective response programs and provides best practices and lessons learned.

(1)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003 Extreme Heat. http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/extremeheat/default.htm

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify populations most vulnerable to excessive heat
• Describe the possible adverse health outcomes of exposure to excessive heat
• Identify best practices for responding to excessive heat in urban areas

Keywords: Environmental Health, Intervention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No