German states launch heat‑protection taskforces after record heat deaths

Health Minister Oliver Hildenbrand of Baden‑Württemberg announced a new heat‑taskforce to coordinate measures across hospitals, care homes and other public services after the state recorded 790 heat‑related deaths by late June 2026. The taskforce will conduct a needs assessment, develop heat‑protection plans for facilities and improve public information, aiming to “avoid heat‑related illnesses and deaths, keep facilities operational and limit the consequences of extreme heat,” the ministry said.

In North Rhine‑Westphalia, the SPD parliamentary group demanded that the state government convene a “heat cabinet” following more than 1,200 heat‑related fatalities this year, including a recent incident that claimed twelve lives in a Leverkusen hospital. The party urged Minister‑President Hendrik Wüst to adopt a statewide heat‑protection concept covering hospitals, care facilities, schools and kindergartens and to support municipalities in creating heat‑action plans.