Mortality +7% higher than expected in the central-southern regions during the second part of July due to the heat waves that hit Italy, with peaks in Bari and Taranto. The data comes from Report on the ‘National operational plan for the prevention of the effects of heat waves’ of the Ministry of Health in the latest update as of July 28th.
The Report elaborates the mortality data updated to 28 July: the results show a limited excess of mortality in the Centre-South (+7%) and a lower than expected mortality in the northern cities. The data, the ministry specifies, will also be updated next week to take account of delays in notification.
Overall, the Report explains, “the weekly graph shows mortality in line with or lower than expected in the last two weeks in the North, while in the Centre-South a higher than expected mortality, evident above all in the 75-84 and 85+ age group. The data show an excess of mortality in the Centre-South (+7%), with statistically significant increases in Naples (+10%), Bari (+50%), Taranto (+42%), Reggio Calabria and Catania (+34 %). In the North, a lower than expected mortality should be reported in several cities (-14% in the whole of the cities of the North).
According to the ministry, “the contained impact of the heat wave highlights that the strengthening of health care, the adaptation interventions envisaged by the National Plan and implemented at the local level, as well as individual behaviors to reduce risks, are in able to protect the population by reducing the impact on health“.
As for the days affected by theheat wave, which from 8 to 25 July affected various cities, in the North the conditions of risk lasted for a shorter time (9-11 July and 15-20 July), while in the Centre-South the conditions of risk lasted from 8 July to 24-25 July , with the wave lasting 18 days in Rome and Rieti and 14-15 days in the other cities.
breaking latest news © Copyright ANSA