Health official says measures needed to mitigate heat stress

 

Director in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Janice Miller, says good public health measures are needed to mitigate the heat stress caused by increasing temperatures globally.

 

Her comment comes as the World Meteorological Organization warned that 2024 is likely to be even hotter than last year, which saw global temperatures smashing heat records.

 

Last year's average temperature reached 1.45 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

 

Dr. Miller says there are several challenges that have undermined the success of mitigation measures. 

 

"The challenges include how aware we are or lack thereof of the challenges and things that we need to do to prevent and mitigate against heat illness. Is there local research? It's a little insufficient. We do have a large population of workers in the informal sector who have to work in extreme temperatures. We do lack some standards in terms of what the heat health and heat policies are and we need to know what are the general guidance for first aid. We need to look at ways to protect against heat stress," she said, suggesting that organisations could also considering having their own heat policy.

 

She was speaking during the National Disaster Risk Management Council (NDRMC) meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

 

The National Disaster Risk Management Council is responsible for disaster preparedness and response.

 

NDRMC meetings serve to assess the country's readiness for the hurricane season and to discuss strategies for mitigating potential risks.