Health: "get hot, Ministry fielding program Summer ... - Reuters Press Agency

(ASCA) – Rome, June 13 -” In anticipation of possible temperature increases linked at the approach of the holiday season that could be especially for the bands more ‘vulnerable population a risk to health, the Ministry has also launched this year, in support of local initiatives, the National Program of Prevention”” Safe Summer 2013 and made available on our website information and advice on the measures General to be taken to deal with the heat without risk.”

This was announced in a statement the Minister Lorenzin, stating that” under the program and ‘operating in major cities’ National System of Forecasting and Alarm for heat waves, which can discover, with an advance of at least 72 hours in weather and climate conditions that can have a significant impact on the health of the categories more ‘exposed, allowing the authorities’ local activated at local monitoring plans and prevention against the population groups most ‘at risk (frail elderly, chronically ill, infants and young children, the homeless).”

At present the different models for seasonal forecasting indicate the country temperature values ??comparable to the seasonal average with possible increases above the averages, especially in some areas of south-central and islands. The latest forecast of the National System of Forecasting and Warning for heat waves of the Ministry of Health does not signal the arrival of waves of heat through the end of this week.

On the basis of seasonal forecasting models are processed daily bulletins on the possible health effects, on a scale that goes from zero level””, corresponding to no risk to the level” three”, which involves high risk conditions and persistent for three or more ‘consecutive days.

For the summer of 2013, the system and’ operational from 1 June to 15 September 2013 in 27 cities’ Italian (Ancona, Bari, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Cagliari, Campobasso, Catania , Civitavecchia, Florence, Frosinone, Genoa, Latina, Messina, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Reggio Calabria, Rieti, Rome, Turin, Trieste, Venice, Verona, Viterbo), while in 34 cities’ plans are available local prevention, with a coverage of about 90% of the population age ‘more than 65 years living in urban areas.

On the portal of the Ministry www.salute.gov.it and’ available a dedicated area subject to heat waves directed at citizens, operators and institutions, which provides a daily forecast information of the extreme heat (daily bulletins) on preventive measures to deal with the heat directed especially to people more ‘fragile and other population groups at risk. On the site in addition to forecasts of heat waves and ‘can refer brochures, FAQs (questions and answers), guidelines and recommendations to operators. In this regard, it is noted that this year the Guidelines for the prevention of the effects of heat on health have been updated. The document ‘aimed at Regions, Provinces, Municipalities, to general practitioners, hospital doctors and in general to all social and health workers involved in the care and management of the population at risk.

red / mpd