A team from the University of Adelaide’s School of Public Health in Australia will develop a public health warning system for heatwaves in China, supported by a grant from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s National Foundation for Australia-China Relations.

The project will see researchers from the University and representatives from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) work together to help protect the health of older people, who are most vulnerable under heatwave conditions.

Professor Peng Bi and his team have developed a Excess Heat Factor (EHF) model for Australian weather, and they are interested to develop the research further in a new geographic area.

The Australian EHF model is based on climate modelling and is currently operational, and will help inform the development of a parallel system in China. Together with the China CDC, Professor Bi’s team will hold workshops in Australia and China.

Heat exposure is known to make diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease worse, causing many premature deaths. Education and health promotion materials that specifically target the over-65 population will also be developed as part of the project, to minimise the impact of heatwaves on their wellbeing.

The project will take two years to complete, with the first collaborative international workshop planned for later this year.