A Climate for Change

(^92) Health Impacts Human Development Report - Croatia 2008
vascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, in cooperation
with the DHMZ, began a five-year epidemiological
study in 1999 entitled “Follow-up Programme on the
Influence of Meteorological Changes upon Cardiac
Patients”, which examined the existing risks to people
suffering from cardiac problems.^8 The results will soon
be available and can then be analysed together with
estimates for future climate change – especially in
terms of the impact of heat waves. European studies
already show an increasing mortality rate of 1-4% for
every degree above a certain threshold, which varies
by region.^9 An investigation performed by the DHMZ
and the Medical Institute for First Aid in Zagreb on the
influence of weather on neurovegetative disorders,
indicated an increased number of neurovegetative
disorders when the maximum temperature exceeded
35 °C.^10
Adaptation to the health impacts of climate change
is necessary. Each country must strengthen its health
system’s preparations for and ability to respond to
climate change. Much of the health risk from climate
change in Croatia – especially from heat waves –
should be addressed by building human capacity and
knowledge about climate risks. An effective approach
involves increasing access to information about cli-
mate-related risks, as well as actually reducing the risks
to the population, especially those at greatest risk.
This can be done by continuously improving the in-
frastructure in health facilities, ensuring the provision
of medicine and immunisation, and ensuring proper
practices are employed for food and water supply and
in sanitation.^11 It also involves engaging healthcare
professionals to educate the public pre-emptively and
to address the risks of heat waves and other poten-
tially dangerous situations. The following activities are
being implemented by the Ministry of Health, along
with the Public Health Institutes (national and local)
and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Croatia,
to build the capacity of health professionals and the
healthcare system:

• Lectures, round-table discussions, and work-
  shops, held for health professionals (general
  practitioners, epidemiologists and public health
  workers) and the public, on climate change and
  health, including at events for World Health Day
  2008.^12
  
  
  • Leaflets, brochures, and other educational materi-
    als distributed to the public in drugstores, health
    institutions, and events such as World Health Day
    2008.^13
  
  
  • Advice for the public during heat waves pub-
    lished on the Internet and distributed to patients
    in health institutions.
  
  
  • Advice for the elderly during heat waves distrib-
    uted in retirement homes and health institutions.
  
  
  • The DHMZ announcing high temperature warn-
    ings in its biometeorological forecast.
  
  
  
  

To highlight issues related to pollen and other pollut-

ants (not including ground-level ozone), a bioweather

forecast for the City of Zagreb was launched a few

Figure 6-1: Poster from the WHO’s World Health Day 2008.

IV See, for example, the web-sites http://www.stampar.hr/, http://

meteo.hr/ and http://www.plivazdravlje.hr/.

V For the day’s forecast, see the web-site http://vrijeme.hr/biomet.

php?id=bio_twh¶m=.

Source: WHO 2008c.

The country

needs to take

further steps,

several of which

are currently

in the planning

stages. However,

to address

existing and

future risks

effectively, more

information is

required