From Research to the Development of an Innovative Application for Monitoring Heat-Related Mortality in Spain

Abstract

Climate change is the greatest global health threat facing the world in the 21st century. 1 Current climate conditions and changes projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predict an impact of rising temperatures on human health. 2One in three current heat-related deaths is already known to be related to human-induced climate change. 3 Worldwide, the past decade has been the warmest, 4 and Europe emerged as a major climatic hotspot. 5In this context, Spain is already one of the countries most affected by increasing temperatures. 2 Exposure to heat poses a major threat to high-risk populations by substantially contributing to increased mortality and morbidity. 6Heat-related mortality has been a significant concern since the summer of 2003, when Europe experienced a heatwave, leading to an excess of more than 70,000 deaths during the summer months, 7 with 3,166 of those occurring in Spain. 8Heat-health early warning systems can reduce the burden of high ambient temperatures.However, the evidence of their effectiveness is limited. 9Therefore, developing innovative tools for real-time monitoring and forecast of health impacts from heat becomes essential for effective public health interventions and resource allocation strategies. ■ MONITORING HEAT-RELATED MORTALITY IN SPAINWe developed a user-friendly and accessible tool for monitoring heat-attributable mortality in Spain during the summer season between June and August (Figure 1).The MACE application (Mortalidad Atribuible por Calor en Espanã,

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