Worldwide, an estimated 1 in 4 adults work outdoors. Outdoor workers face an increased risk of occupational heat stress due to environmental exposures, including temperature, humidity, direct sun exposure, and heavy physical work. Between 800,000 to 1 million seasonal outdoor workers are hired in Europe each year, mainly in the agriculture sector, increasing their risk of suffering from heat-related illness even further.
CATALYSE is conducting research to analyse how climate change affects healthcare demand among socially marginalised groups facing barriers to health service access and utilisation, focusing on migrant agricultural workers.
We are conducting fieldwork in three countries (Italy, Spain, and Austria) to better understand migrant agricultural workers’ heat exposure, identify risk perceptions and how services can be tailored to meet the needs of these vulnerable populations.
Our results will feed into the co-creation of health system strategies to bridge gaps between risk and risk perception and address unmet need for health services due to heat stress. These strategies can be incorporated into broader health system adaptation goals to protect vulnerable populations.
