A workshop hosted on October 16-17, 2023, centered on establishing new networks among health authority partners in the Americas and construct climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems that address the specific needs of vulnerable populations through inclusive and participatory processes.
Washington, D.C., 20 October 2023 ― PAHO and Health Canada co-hosted a virtual workshop on October 16-17 focused on building climate resilient health systems in the Americas. Over 130 health sector decision makers from across PAHO’s member states, and leaders in climate resiliency, joined together to share ideas and reflect on sector-wide needs and opportunities.
The main purposes of the workshop were fostering the exchange of information on key actors, and innovative initiatives in the Americas to promote the development of climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems; facilitating the sharing of new tools, information, and best practices among health authorities for conducting climate change and health adaptation and vulnerability assessments, and for crafting health adaptation plans that prioritize equitable outcomes; identifying opportunities for future partnerships and collaborations among health authorities in the Americas; and establishing new networks among health authority partners in the Region, and construct climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems with equity that address the specific needs of vulnerable populations through inclusive and participatory processes.
Workshop participants called for additional opportunities for connection to share ideas and solidify connections with other decision makers; an accessible, curated, central repository of information, tools and resources related to climate resilient health systems, in order to facilitate knowledge and resource sharing; and ready-to-use and easily replicated online resources that can be adapted for participants’ varied geographic and cultural contexts.
This workshop is a vital part of the growing movement to address climate change and health. Its outcomes will not only enrich ongoing efforts but also shape key future initiatives, such as the PAHO Climate Change and Health Survey (currently in progress) and the new PAHO Policy for Strengthening Health Sector Action on Climate Change with Equity, which aims at proposing a course of action to urgently strengthen the health sector to address the current and future threats posed by climate change to health, wellbeing, and health equity.
Participants and presentations
Building Climate Resilient Health Systems: Current Initiatives, Resources and Networks, by Karen Polson-Edwards, PAHO Regional Advisor on Climate Change and Health.
Building Climate Resilient Health Systems with Effective Communication, by Edward Maibach, Director of the Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University.
Case Study: Climate Resilient Health Infrastructure in Brazil and the Americas, by Vital Ribeiro, Chairman of the Board of Healthy Hospitals Project and Architect, Environment Division of the São Paulo State Health Secretariat, Brazil.
Case Study: Smart Hospitals: Tools and Techniques in Practice in the Caribbean, by Judith Harvey, Smart Healthcare Facilities in the Caribbean Project, PAHO/WHO.
Climate Change Impacts on Health Equity and Implications for Adaptation Action, by Rebekka Schnitter, Climate Change and Health Specialist, Ministry of Health, British Columbia, Canada.
Lessons Learned: Canada’s HealthADAPT Program, by Emin Nawaz, Policy Analyst, Climate Change and Innovation Bureau, Health Canada.
Training Opportunities for the Health Sector Workforce, by Cecilia Sorensen, Director of the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education, Columbia University.
