Recommendations for the protection of health in the summer
Post: Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition
Date: 30 junio 2017
Section: Agencia española de Consumo, Seguridad alimentaria y Nutrición
Agreement in the Council of Ministers
The Government approved today the agreement for measures and plans of action for the summer period for 2017, carried out by different ministerial departments, including this Ministry
The Council of Ministers approved today the measures and plans of action for the summer for 2017. This plan contains the measures adopted by the different departments for the special circumstances which arise during the summer, with massive holiday travel and possibly extreme temperatures.
It has been drafted at the request of the vice-president of the Government and minister of the Presidency and for the Territorial Administrations; the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation; the Home Office; the Minister of Development; the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport; the Minister of Employment and Social Security; the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment and the Minister of Health, Social Services and Equality, Dolors Montserrat.
The actions of the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality are listed every year in a featured space on the Web page to make it easier for the general public to access:
http://www.msssi.gob.es/ciudadanos/saludAmbLaboral/planAltasTemp/2017/home.htm
FOOD INTOXICATIONS AND THE USE OF MEDICINES
Every year, the Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition (AECOSAN) offers the population a series of practical recommendations for preventing foodborne disease. In the summer, given the high temperatures and the increased tendency to eat out, this is particularly important. Therefore, the Aecosan offers a series of recommendations, based on the those of the World Health Organisation, for preventing intoxications.
The majority of domestic food poisoning can be avoided with the application of these simple rules of hygiene, including maintaining cleanliness, separating raw food from cooked food and avoiding perishable food which has been left at room temperature.
In addition, every year, the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) publishes a Guide of recommendations for the correct use of medicines in the event of a heatwave. The guide is intended for professional users. High summer temperatures are a factor which may affect medicines, especially in those pharmacological therapies which extend over time and are typical of patients with chronic illnesses or the elderly.
In this respect, the Ministry notes the importance of using medicines correctly, as some may make exhaustion-dehydration or heatwave syndromes worse. These medicines include those which affect hydration such as diuretics, or medicines which may affect the kidney function.
Citizens should also pay heed to the information on the conservation of medicines in the event of heatwaves. Any special storage conditions are listed on the packaging of each medicine, although some medicines may not have specific storage instructions. In the absence of any special instructions, medicines should be kept at ambient temperature (that is within a temperature range of approximately 15 ºC to 25 ºC).
Furthermore, in the summer the AEMPS publishes warnings to the general public about the risks of excessive exposure to the sun and the correct use of sun screens, offering tips on how to choose and apply sun screens correctly. The AEMPS also prepares recommendations on the risk of adverse effects associated with the application of temporary tattoos, advising on how to distinguish between black henna and natural henna.
1200 SPANIARDS IN PRISONS ABROAD FOR DRUG-RELATED CRIMES
In order to make the public more aware of the risks of any sort of contact with drugs when travelling abroad, every summer the Government Office for the National Drugs Plan launches a campaign intended to make the population aware of the risk of contact with drugs while travelling abroad.
This year the campaign is called “Trafficking or taking drugs while travelling abroad may have severe consequences: Choose your trip carefully”. To publicise the message, they will distribute posters and signs all over Spain at strategic points. These include ID and passport offices, or places frequently passed by travellers or people intending to travel.
This campaign is considered essential, as of all the Spanish citizens imprisoned abroad, 67.64% at present are for drug-related crimes, both consumption and trafficking. That is, more than 1200 Spaniards are currently in prison abroad awaiting trial or serving a sentence.
PROTECTION FROM HIGH TEMPERATURES, INTERNATIONAL VACCINATION AND PREVENTION OF DROWNING
In addition, the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality have this year set up the programme “Health also travels” to remind travellers abroad to check with an international vaccination centre. In 2016, 278,387 travellers were attended at one of the 107 international vaccination centres, an increase of 15% with respect to 2015, in addition to the 152,396 phone enquires. In 2016, 316,362 vaccinations were given, equivalent to an increase of 12.6% with respect to the previous year.
In addition, each summer the Ministry activates the National Plan for Preventive Measures against the Effects of Excess Temperatures. The objective of the National Plan is to prevent and mitigate the possible negative effects of excess heat on people's health, particularly in the more vulnerable or risk groups, including the elderly, children and the chronically ill, or people who work or are physically active outdoors.
One of the priority actions of the Plan is to alert the health authorities and the general public with sufficient notice of possible situations of risk. In order to do so, each day the Autonomous Communities will receive the temperature forecasts from the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET), and this information will be available on the Web page. In addition, a high temperature subscription system using SMS and e-mail will be activated.
Each year, the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality also draws people's attention to the number of drownings that could be prevented and advises extreme caution to prevent drowning or serious injury in aquatic environments. This is timed to coincide with the arrival of the summer season, when the extensive Spanish coastline and the large number of pools and natural waters, combined with good weather conditions, encourage leisure activities in the water.
This increases the risk of drowning and other serious injuries such as brain trauma or spinal injuries. To prevent these, the Ministry launches a series of recommendations which can be found on the Web which the Ministry dedicates to promoting healthy lifestyles.