Hot weather increases the risk of  heat-related illness for people who work outside. Construction workers, landscapers, farmers, road crews, delivery workers, utility workers, and others who do hard physical work outdoors are especially vulnerable when it’s hot. This flyer explains how to protect your health during hot weather and heatwaves.

View the complete Stay Safe when Working in the Heat - Heatwave Safety for Outdoor Workers in South Africa Leaflet

Very hot weather can be especially dangerous for people living with physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, or mental  health conditions. Some conditions and medications make it harder for the body to cool down or recognise heat stress.  Planning ahead and taking simple steps  can prevent serious illness and save lives.

View the complete Stay Safe in Extreme Heat - Information for People with Physical and Mental Challenges Leaflet

South Africa is increasingly experiencing extreme heat and heatwaves, especially during spring and summer months.

High temperatures aren’t just uncomfortable — they can pose real health risks to pregnant women and new mothers, including dehydration, heat exhaustion, and impacts on pregnancy outcomes like preterm birth or low birth weight.

Pregnancy makes it harder for your body to cool down and increases your risk of heat-related illness compared with people who are not pregnant. This is why simple, proactive steps can make a big difference.

Roula Inglesi-Lotz is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Pretoria and currently holds a Bilateral SARChI Chair in Just Energy Transitions. She obtained a PhD in Economics from the University of Pretoria. Her research and teaching focus on energy economics, environmental economics, and macroeconomics.

PLANET4HEALTH (P4H) for World Environmental Health Day (WEHD) 2025

A Multisectoral Approach to Adaptation & Mitigation of Adverse Effects of Vector-Borne Diseases, Environmental Pollution and Climate Change on Planetary Health.

Dr Frederico Peres graduated in Biological Sciences, holds a Masters and a PhD degree in Public Health, and a Post-doctorate fellowship in Occupational and Environmental Health. He is a Senior Researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), a Visiting Associate Professor at the National School of Public Health of the NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal, and Fellow Researcher at the Division of International Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He was Vice-Chair and an Associate Dean at Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health (ENSP/FIOCRUZ).

Living close to busy roads puts your health at risk.

Air pollution from vehicles and dust can harm everyone but especially:

• Babies and young children
• Pregnant women
• Elderly people
• Anyone with asthma, TB, heart or lung problems

View the complete Breathe Safely Near Busy Roads  - Flyer

Air pollution is a serious health risk — especially for unborn babies and infants

Breathing polluted air during pregnancy can increase the risk of low birth weight, premature birth, developmental delays, and in severe cases even miscarriage or stillbirth. Infants exposed to polluted air are more likely to develop asthma and other lung diseases, infections like pneumonia and have poor brain development and learning challenges.

Background: What is Air Pollution?

Air pollution refers to the presence of harmful substances in the air we breathe. These include gases (like nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide), particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which originate from vehicles, industry, burning of waste, household fuel use, and natural sources like dust and veld fires.