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Cold Extremes and Impacts on Health

  • Chapter
Extreme Weather Events and Public Health Responses

Abstract

A special feature of the future climatic change is the climate variability in particular the frequency and intensity of extreme conditions. Cold spells will remanin a problem within Europe even under the circumstances of climatic changes. With Britain’s predicted increase in environmental temperature by 2 °C during the next 50 years, seasonal mortality during the cold months of the year still will present the majority of excess mortality. Epidemiological evidence has indicated a causal relationship between mortality and cold weather. The most important diseases associated with cold-related excess mortality are ischaemic heart disease, cerebro-vascular disease and respiratory disease, especially influenza. Body cooling may offer a better explanation for the cold-related excess mortality than environmental temperature.

The goals of public health activities related to the health impact of cold extremes are to reduce premature deaths, the amount of disease and injuries, disease-produced discomfort, sickness and disability in the population. In order to evaluate the prevention of cold exposure-related excess mortality, we need the collaboration between health care, weather services and other officials to produce usable preventive action models. The definition of public health programmes aimed at preventing cold-related mortality needs further research. The prevention of cold injuries and illnesses is more the responsibility of health care providers and it requires practical information, education and professional support.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Thule Institute, Centre for Arctic Medicine, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FIN-90014, Oulu, Finland

    Prof. Dr. J. Hassi (Research Professor, Director)

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  1. Prof. Dr. J. Hassi
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. European Public Health Association (EUPHA), Germany

    Wilhelm Kirch (Past President) (Past President)

  2. Public Health Research Association Saxony, Medical Faculty, Technical University Dresden, Fiedlerstr. 27, D-01307, Dresden, Germany

    Wilhelm Kirch (Past President) (Past President)

  3. Special Programme on Health and Environment, WHO Regional Office for Europe, WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, Via Francesco Crispi, 10, I-00187, Rome, Italy

    Roberto Bertollini

  4. Global Change and Health, WHO Regional Office for Europe, WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, Via Francesco Crispi, 10, I-00187, Rome, Italy

    Bettina Menne

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© 2005 World Health Organization

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Hassi, J. (2005). Cold Extremes and Impacts on Health. In: Kirch, W., Bertollini, R., Menne, B. (eds) Extreme Weather Events and Public Health Responses. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-28862-7_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-28862-7_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-24417-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-28862-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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