Geographic location influences emergency medical services’ perception of climate change risk

Health Day Messages – “Climate change risk perceptions among emergency medicine societies vary by geography, and few have implemented measures to assess and prepare for climate change risks,” according to a study published online Oct. 13 in the journal. European journal of emergency medicine coincided with the European Congress of Emergency Medicine, which took place on October 13–16 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Roberta Petrino, MD, of Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale in Lugano, Switzerland, and colleagues examined climate change awareness, preparedness, and mitigation plans in a cross-sectional study of emergency medical services organizations in various countries. The survey included 16 closed-ended questions regarding awareness, preparedness and threats regarding climate change.

Forty-two focus groups responded, representing 36 countries. The researchers found that the average estimated impact of climate change on national health systems was 6.75, with a mean value of 7, while the average estimated impact of climate change on emergency medical systems was 6.96. Only 21.4 and 37.6 percent of respondents reported assessment and preparedness measures, respectively. The only significant difference when analyzed by income was food supply. When analyzed by region, the main differences were in the risk of extreme weather events, vector-borne diseases and wildfires; The main difference in the World Risk Index’s analysis was food and the supply chain. The main mitigation actions identified by all respondents were education and integration of health services.

“All respondents supported educational programs and strategic plans to address the challenges of climate change, with the belief that emergency medicine can play an important role in preventing and mitigating potential health crises,” the authors write.

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