EPI-WIN digest 53 - Managing the heat: strengthening public health preparedness for mass gatherings in a warming world

Overview

With summer 2025 expected to bring new global temperature records, the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat events poses an urgent challenge to public health—particularly in the context of mass gatherings (MGs). From cultural festivals to religious pilgrimages, and from national elections to major sporting events, millions will gather outdoors under potentially hazardous environmental conditions.

This digest provides information on how countries - Malaysia, Mexico and Tanzania - are actively preparing for large-scale public events and their approaches to risk assessment, surveillance, and community engagement in the face of extreme heat. It also provides information on WHO’s Beat the Heat flagship initiative, aimed at protecting health during heat events and building cross-country collaboration on climate-resilient mass gathering planning.

For further information, please visit the event page for the EPI-WIN Webinar 'managing the heat: strengthening public health preparedness for mass gatherings in a warming world'.