HOPE
Ανταπόκριση στους καύσωνες στο οικοσύστημα των ηλικιωμένων
Macro
Main result
Heat warning and management system
Title
South Australia heat warning system
Date 2009, with regular updates.
Objectives
Heatwave warning systems aim to assist in reducing health effects during extreme heat.
Location /geographical coverage
The good practice was implemented in Australia, in the state of South Australia. Solid evidence and analyses have been gathered and developed in relation to the implementation of the good practice in the city of Adelaide.
Organisation responsible for good practice
Government of South Australia – SA Health.
Stakeholders and partners
The target groups of the good practice are not only senior citizens (over 65), but also children, pregnant women, persons with chronic diseases and persons with reduced mobility. It should be emphasised that this good practice is implemented with the collaboration of some relevant stakeholders, such as: Red Cross Telecross REDi service; Broadcast media - ABC, Bureau of Meteorology, Healthdirect Australia, SA State Emergency Service.
Short summary
The need to develop an innovative model for heatwaves management arose in 2009 following the dramatic impact of a heatwave that caused serious health
consequences for the citizens of the state of South Australia. Heat warning system South Australia is coordinated by the State of South Australia with the cooperation of the State Emergency Service. The Heat Warning System is activated during extreme heat events, in cooperation with the Bureau of Meteorology, when the daily average temperature is expected to exceed 32°C for three or more days. The government activates heat-related interventions to address the specific needs of vulnerable populations. The general population is warned, informed and educated through media announcements. A characteristic element of this model is the collaboration with the Australian Red Cross, which runs a free service specifically targeting people at risk, particularly the elderly. Registered people are contacted daily during the alert period. Caregivers can register a person in this system based on a vulnerability assessment tool.
Impact
The implementation of this approach in the Australian context is constantly monitored in order to periodically update the system. The impact of this initiative is well documented in several papers. The analysis implemented in the article 'Evaluation of a heat warning system in Adelaide, South Australia, using case-series analysis - 2016', which analyses the impact of the model, comparing the heatwaves of 2009 and 2014, is significant. Thanks to the 'Heat warning system South Australia', a reduction in emergency calls can be seen, but also an improvement in some specific health outcomes.
Innovation
The main elements of innovation that can be identified are:
- Articulated communication strategy, clear and calibrated to the specific needs of the target groups considered.
- Structured collaboration with the Australian Red Cross, which enables support even for isolated people who usually receive less help and information.
Lessons learned
The main lesson learnt is the reduction in morbidity due to the implementation of the approach, when compared to past heatwaves. In particular, in 2014 Results were achieved thanks to an overall strategy which included a public alert through the media and intensive preventive measures targeted at individual at-risk populations.
Sustainability
With regard to economic sustainability, it is worth mentioning a specific analysis entitled 'Evaluating cost benefits from a heat health warning system in Adelaide, South Australia'. According to a cost-benefit analysis, the data shows that the South Australian heat warning system is a no-regret public health response to heatwaves. For a detailed analysis, see "Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health" 2022 vol. 46 no. 2. From an institutional point of view, the initiative allows the improvement of collaboration between all public actors involved. Finally, from the social point of view, there is a positive impact, especially on isolated and elderly citizens, who can benefit not only from the health warnings offered by the programme, but also from the telephone support provided by the Red Cross.
Replicability and/or up-scaling
The approach is highly replicable in any context where there is a need to manage heat waves. However, the state needs to invest resources in the communication campaign, activation of services and collaboration between institutions.
Contact details
Disaster Management Branch:
Email: healthdisastermanagement@sa.gov.au
Telephone: (08) 7425 7065
Address: Citi Centre Building, 11-13 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia
Related Web site(s)
https://www.ses.sa.gov.au/heatwave/
https://www.redcross.org.au/services/telecross-redi-sa/
Related resources that have been developed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuAq_eaE9e8