Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Community and Physician, cilt.40, sa.3, ss.218-229, 2025 (Scopus)
The climate crisis is not only the most important environmental problem of the 21st century, but has also become a global threat that threatens human health directly or indirectly and has deepened over the years. While extreme heat and heat waves, which cause loss of life and serious illnesses, are the leading threats to public health, these effects are distributed unfairly through social inequalities. It is predicted that the effects of climate change will not only be limited to the increase in the frequency of disasters and the emergence of new diseases, but will also lead to longer-term interruptions as extreme heat and drought periods extend. However, the relationship between climate change and health services that have to cope with the increased health care needs that will result from it is not given enough importance. International organizations, especially the World Health Organization, provide strategic frameworks and operational guides to countries in the face of the global threats of the climate crisis, providing them with strategic frameworks and operational guides to create climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems. Considering the potential effects of the climate crisis on public health in the context of class and regional inequalities, it is of vital importance to make Türkiye’s existing health infrastructure climate-resilient and to develop a preventive action plan for extreme heat. This article seeks to answer the questions of what concrete steps should be taken to develop climate-resilient health systems in Türkiye and to create a comprehensive action plan for extreme heat and heat waves, in light of global guidelines (WHO) and pioneering national experiences (the example of France).