Munich (dpa / lby) – The state government wants to better protect people in Bavaria from growing health risks from climate change, including heat waves. A new special representative of the Ministry of Health and a new competence center at the State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) are to take care of the topic. Among other things, the goals are: better education of the population and more prevention in the municipalities.
“Climate change is real and it makes us sick. It also affects us here in Bavaria, children, the sick and the elderly are particularly affected,” said the newly appointed special representative Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann at her presentation on Wednesday in Munich. The professor, a sought-after expert, is, among other things, director of the Institute for Environmental Medicine at Helmholtz Munich and holder of the Chair for Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg.
“Nobody can escape the health consequences of climate change. That’s why it’s extremely important that we prepare and adapt,” she said. The healthcare sector in particular must be able to meet its supply responsibilities in the event of extreme events such as extreme heat. “Early warning systems, heat adaptation, personalized prevention and improving the health conditions of our population through a more sustainable lifestyle can make a big difference,” she explained.
Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) emphasized: “Climate change is clearly noticeable in Bavaria.” Heat waves are more common than they used to be. “Particularly vulnerable groups such as the elderly or small children are severely affected by the heat. We have to be prepared for these and other health risks caused by climate change.” Action must be taken now in order to minimize the long-term health consequences of climate change for citizens. Traidl-Hoffmann should create awareness among the population and the relevant actors of how to effectively prevent the consequences of climate change. “The past summer in particular, with many weeks of hot weather, clearly showed how important it is to adapt to climate change with heat action plans at the municipal level.”
