Asia | HCWH Urges Governments to Invest in Low Carbon, Climate-Resilient Health Care
Manila, Philippines — As health and environment leaders meet this week in Manila for the World Health Organization’s Asia Pacific Regional Forum on Environment and Health (4th Regional Forum), Health Care Without Harm Asia urges governments of Southeast and East Asian countries to protect public health from climate change and to invest in building low-carbon and climate-resilient health facilities.
Health Care Should be Prepared for Climate Change
Many countries in the region, including the Philippines, are some of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The British medical journal The Lancet has referred to climate change as the "biggest global health threat of the 21st century," from extreme weather events, changes in patterns of diseases, increase in vector-borne diseases, and water and food insecurity affecting people’s health and well-being.
"Considering the climate change’s major impacts on people’s health, health care needs to help lead the efforts to address this, one of the greatest problems of our time. Our hospitals need to be the last buildings standing in an extreme weather event; our health systems must adapt to the shifting burden of disease; and we must reduce our own carbon footprint, which is quite large in some countries," explained HCWH International Director of Program and Strategy, Josh Karliner, who will be presenting on green, low-carbon, climate-resilient health care during the pre-forum (...).
Pushing for low-carbon health care
"Hospitals and health systems that consume loads of energy can save money and reduce their footprint by implementing low carbon health care development strategies," added Karliner. "A low carbon health care approach is also ideal for many developing countries because renewables such as solar and wind can help power health facilities where otherwise there is no reliable energy source."
Media Coverage
- Protection of Public Health from Climate Change Sought, Tribune Wires, October 7
- Health Group Calls for 'Low Carbon Healthcare', Manila Times, October 6
- Governments told: Invest in low-carbon, climate-resilient health care, Business Mirror, October 4
