The Ministry of Health will propose this Thursday to the communities to advance, for the second consecutive year, the activation of the “National plan of preventive actions of the effects of excess temperatures on health“to next May 15, 15 days earlier than usual.
will do it in the Public Health Commission meetingwhich will also study the recommendations for the use of nirsevimab, the monoclonal antibody recently endorsed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to prevent infection caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus in newborns and infants, as well as those of the next vaccination campaign against the flu.
Regarding the plan against the heat, the Health plan will be made at a time when a good part of the country is experiencing summer temperatures and which have yet to reach their peak on Friday, when values above 32º and even are expected. 40º in Andalusia.
Sources from this department remind Efe that last year the activation of this plan was brought forward to May 19 which, since it started in 2004, is normally launched from June 1 to September 15.
How does the plan work?
For the correct development of the Plan, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) provides daily maximum and minimum temperatures expected for that day and the predictions for the next five days.
those temperatures are disaggregated by provincial capital and isothermal zonesin those where it is implemented, and according to the number of days in which the threshold temperatures established in the Plan are exceeded, the risk levels are determined.
The risk levels are assigned based on four criteria: whether the number of days on which the maximum and minimum temperatures expected simultaneously exceed the respective reference threshold values is zerothe index is “0”, the assigned level is called “Level 0” or absence of risk, and is represented by the color green.
If he number of days is one or twothe indices are respectively “1” and “2”, the assigned level is called “Level 1” or low risk, and is represented by the yellow color; if it is three or four, the indices are respectively “3” and “4”, the level assigned is called “LEVEL 2” or medium riskand is represented by the color orange.
Finally, if reach fivethe index is “5” and is associated with “Level 3″ or high riskcolored red.
effects of heat
excessive heat can alter our vital functions when the organism it is unable to compensate for variations in body temperature and can cause health problems such as cramps, dehydration, heat stroke, heat stroke that can cause multi-organ problems with symptoms such as gait instability, seizures and even coma.
The exposure to excessive temperatures especially affects those children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with chronic underlying pathologies. People in situations of marginalization, isolation, dependency or with disabilities also have an added risk factor.
Apart from the plan against heat, the Public Health Commission plans to inform the Interdepartmental Monitoring Commission for the management and coordination of the activities of the Strategic Health and Environment Plan (Pesma) and the Royal Decree project that modifies the regulations on health requirements for the prevention and control of legionellosis.
Related news
Also of the new Royal Decree projects in the framework of the development of the Public Health Surveillance Network and the delay in the execution of the funds transferred to the communities for the development of the information systems.
In addition, they will update the follow-up activities for MPOX and will discuss the vector plan.