Reducing Morbidity and Mortality Due to Extreme Heat: A Call for Evidence-Based Interventions

Extreme heat is an established and significant threat to public health across the globe. We estimate that in the US extreme heat events (defined as temperatures ≥ 97.5th percentile of local daily mean temperature) account for approximately 3,658 deaths per year, and the impact of heat on the risk of non-fatal events such as hospitalizations and emergency department visits is likely even larger. National analyses suggest that projected climate change could lead to thousands of additional deaths per year due to extreme heat. Additional adaptation measures at the individual, household, and community levels will be essential to avoid the worst of these health impacts.Many communities have already implemented adaptation measures in order to reduce heat-related morbidity and mortality in the present and the future. For example, in Philadelphia, New York City, and across New England, the research community and key stakeholders have collaborated to refine the guidelines for issuing National Weather Service ...