The Covid-19 crisis has made clear that we should prepare for crises that can develop into very serious situations. Looking at the near future, climate change is a strategic topic. The most acute threat of climate change to public health at this time, are long periods of (extreme) heat. In the Netherlands, last summer was mild but the three previous summers broke heat record after heat record. We all observed the high temperatures in the Southern European countries. We also observed the sudden increase in temperatures in the North-West of America; their meteorologists predicted wrong – they were 5 degrees of the mark. Rather then being surprised, we must be prepared. Prepared in the sense of being as close as possible to the ones that are most at risk: older people. This is the foundation for this project. The HOPE consortium ensures the involvement of older people and their caretakers themselves.
In addition, having a central role, the educational institutes will teach care-students (= our future caretakers) to deal with this new public health task. As the city of Rotterdam is ahead with its climate adaptation programme, it is keen to coordinate the joint HOPE project 2022 -2025. Within our city organisation this is an interdepartmental project: public health, urban planning, elderly care, climate policy to name just a few of the departments involved. Because it is so close to real life: reality doesn’t bother itself with the structures and procedures of a bureaucratic system. That is also why we are optimistic that this project will get a spin-off. The concreteness of this heat-topic inspires energy and buy-in: people want to join in. The products that will come forward will be kept it as tangible as possible: an innovative teaching-tool for students and formal/informal caregivers, guidelines and best practices, policy recommendations. They will be communicated a.o. by the website and this newsletter. We invite you to join in the next three years and, together with us put effort in getting your organization, your students and yourselves prepared to respond to a severe heatwave. Willemijn Lamoré
Manager for Public Health of the city of Rotterdam
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