[Winter surveillance of cold exposure effects on health among the homeless population in the Paris area: data from the Coordinated Health Surveillance of Emergency Department network (Organisation de la surveillance coordonnée des urgences [Oscour(®)])].

Background: A program for helping homeless individuals in winter is implemented from November 1(st) to March 31(st) each year in France. Its aim is to prevent morbidity and mortality in this population during cold spells and periods of severe cold. A health surveillance system of the homeless population in the Paris area has been proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and to alert decision-makers if an unusual increase in cold-weather effects is observed.

France's heat health watch warning system.

In 2003, a Heat Health Watch Warning System was developed in France to anticipate heat waves that may result in a large excess of mortality. The system was developed on the basis of a retrospective analysis of mortality and meteorological data in fourteen pilot cities. Several meteorological indicators were tested in relation to levels of excess mortality.