Just over two weeks since Argentina experienced the end of the first heat wave of the season, marked by “very dangerous” temperatures for health, The consequences of this phenomenon still resonate in the country.
For 23 days between January and February, communities faced overwhelming thermal values whose impacts on the population remain unknown, with the demand for assistance for heat stroke or its recognition as a public health problem still without clear answers in several districts.
Carlos Ferreyra, a doctor specialized in environmental epidemiology and former consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO) on climate, health and environment issues, warns about the lack of preparation for this type of events.
Although, in his words, “in Argentina, there are zero sick or dead people due to the heat,” the reality of climate change and the necessary adaptation in terms of human, animal and plant health posit extreme heat as a health problem. indisputable public.
Ferreyra's experience in public management allows him to affirm that the country lacks concrete strategies and plans to confront extreme heat waves, with the exception of specific initiatives such as the network of climate shelters in the city of Buenos Aires or the relief points. in Rosario, Santa Fe. This lack of preparation not only puts vulnerable populations at risk but also represents a significant expense in late medical care. and inefficient action in the face of these emergencies.
“Not having a robust epidemiological information system causes the country to spend an enormous amount of money treating patients who arrive late for consultations. It makes us Argentines totally inefficient in dealing with extreme heat,” said the expert in dialogue with 'La Nación'.
And he added: “This is why we have to apply the precautionary principle: even though there is no data on the different impacts of heat on the population and so as not to leave the elderly, pregnant women or people who use therapies that may generate some vulnerability helpless.” in extreme heat, “You have to act despite not having the necessary information to manage.”
The economic consequences
The climate phenomenon is not only a risk to public health but also has significant economic consequences for the country, affecting food production, productive capacity and exacerbating problems such as fires and droughts.
“The heat in Argentina has always been taken as an individual matter, of personal perception. However, today, it is the most important public health problem in terms of its damage to society and health. More so in the countries of the southern hemisphere, where it generates many other problems, such as fires, droughts, decreased food production and direct impact on productive capacity,” the specialist mentioned.
Ferreyra highlights the importance of adopting a precautionary approach, acting even without having all the necessary information, to protect the most vulnerable and prevent further harm.
The relationship between extreme heat and dengue, another concern
The relationship between extreme heat and the increase in vector-borne diseases, such as dengue, is also a cause for concern. The lack of adequate information and preparation contributes to an inadequate response to these emergencies.
“Every time there is heat, it occurs very effectively because the mosquito reproduces more efficiently and the population is not well informed so they cannot give an adequate response and there is an inability to act,” said the doctor, who in 2009 was co-author of the Córdoba Dengue Prevention Master Plan.
Ferreyra's recommendations
Given this panorama, Ferreyra urges the updating of responses to extreme heat, including the implementation of action and protection protocols in the workplace, as well as the preparation of health services to face these events. The need for a national strategy that includes education, prevention and action in the face of extreme heat is presented as an urgent challenge for Argentina in the next decade.
“Most hospitals that receive complicated cases do not have a plan with the necessary clinical guidelines for the different services to deal with the effects of heat, unlike what happens with the effects of cold. Nor does occupational health have protocols on how extreme heat affects workers, nor are unions discussing the personal care and protection measures that they should promote,” he explained.
Ferreyra highlights the need to adapt responses to extreme heat, taking as a reference practices in Europe, where rotation and cooling protocols have been established for workers exposed to high temperatures.
“If these precautions do not exist, thermal stress alters work capacity and countries without these protections begin to have serious production problems. All this shows that Argentina has to update its response to extreme heat. In terms of work alone, it has an impact on more than 20 professions or occupations, such as the police, transportation, construction, work in the field or informal workers on the street, among others,” he concluded in dialogue with 'La Nación. '.
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*This content was rewritten with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on information from La Nación, and was reviewed by the journalist and an editor.
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