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This report draws on knowledge developed for the European Climate and Health Observatory. It focuses on the impact high temperatures are having on the population, as well as another emerging threat: the spread of climate-sensitive infectious diseases. The aim of this report is to highlight two particular threats to human health associated with climate change. First, the report focuses on high temperatures, which are already responsible for the largest number of fatalities associated with natural hazards in Europe and are projected to increase substantially because of anthropogenic climate change. Second, the report covers infectious diseases as an emerging threat in Europe.

This report recommends several actions needed to reduce climate impacts on human health:

• First, there is an urgent need for education and training of public health and healthcare professionals on the threats from climate change.
• Second, increasing the resilience of health systems to climate change is key. This report shows that healthcare facilities in European cities can be more severely affected by heat because of their location in densely built urban environment.
• Third, to effectively address threats, the varying vulnerability and exposure of different demographic and socio-economic groups needs to be considered.
• Lastly, to enable the step up from developing policies to implementing action on the ground, there is a need for the monitoring, evaluation and dissemination of knowledge on the effectiveness of solutions.