Climate Change

Relationship between climate change, burden of disease and health services

Climate change influences burden of disease.

Burden of disease affects health services.

Health services contributes to climate change.

Burden of disease affected by climate change

1. Malnutrition

2. Infectious diseases (e. Malaria, cholera)

3. Heat related Illness (extreme heat, drought)

4. Injuries, trauma

5. Migration

6. Mental health

How does climate change lead to health and social problems

Underlying drivers - demographics Shift (population growth), consumption, technology

Ecological drivers- pollution, loss of biodiversity, land use, resource scarcity, climate change

Proximate causes- air quality, food insecurity, spread of diseases, lack of water access, disasters

Mediating factors - governance, wealth, health system , culture and behavior

Health and social effects e.g. malnutrition, infectious diseases, migration

Groups vulnerable to extreme temperature

Elderly and children

Agriculture and outdoor workers

Homeless and poor

Pre existing cardiac and respiratory diseases

Mentally ill

Climate resilient health care facility

Anticipate, respond, cope, recover and adapt to climate related shock or stressor and continue to provide ongoing health services despite the unstable climate

Impact on Health services

Health workers - injury, illness, unable to go or leave work, no PPE, emergency services

Health infrastructure - damage

Water, sanitation, energy, communication affected

WHO guidance on resilient facilities: key domains

Health workforce

Infrastructure, technology, products

Water, sanitation , hygiene and waste

Energy

Definitions and conceptual framework

Climate Hazard - climate shock or stress that causes harm to health, health facilities and services

Capacity - ability to respond and adapt to the stressors

Vulnerable - likelihood of a negative effect and the factors that contribute to those vulnerabilities/ weaknesses

Risk - Probability of harm from the combination of the effect of the hazard, capacity, vulnerabilities and exposures.

Exposure - who or what is affected by the stressors

End point - priority plan

Health facilities contribute to climate change

5th largest emitter worldwide

4.4% of global emissions

Framework for health facilities to reduce their carbon footprint

WHO GLOBAL GREEN HEALTH HOSPITAL AGENDA GGH 10 points

GGH points

Leadership

Chemicals

Water, waste, energy, food

Buildings

Pharmaceuticals

Energy - PV system, efficiency, behavior change, mitigation

Example of behavior change - double side printing, flask instead of electrical urn

Reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2030

Goal

Environmental sustainability plan

Leadership

Water - storm water collection, recycle grey water

Food - food gardens

Energy - Solar PV

Buildings - new designs

Waste - composting, recycle

Bio diversity

Travel and mobility

Procurement of goods and services