Climate change has a significant impact on public health and on healthcare systems. It hits the most vulnerable harder. It increases the burden on our social protection systems. A reflection is thus needed on how to redesign our health and social protection systems in order to respond, mitigate and adapt to these new realities and needs.

Healthcare systems also have their share of responsibility in climate change, causing carbon emissions that reach up to 10% of a country’s national emissions. Hospitals and pharmaceutical products are the biggest sources, representing between 22 and 44% of the emissions. [1] In  addition, the sector is the source of other environmental pollutants such as ammonia, carbon monoxide, methanol, etc.[2] In low and middle income countries, 4,4% of the net greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the sector’s transport system, energy consumption and cold chain.[3] In addition, food products, energy consumption and waste in healthcare settings contribute to the ecological footprint of systems.

Contributing to climate change, the sector is a key player in climate mitigation and will definitely need to adapt to changing needs and operating conditions. Social protection systems need to adapt to constitute an essential tool in ensuring that societies become more resilient to the effects of climate change.

This AIM paper gathers some recommendations based on latest studies and reports on the topic.[4] It aims at contributing to the debate and at inspiring decision-makers and other stakeholders to take action at their level.

READ IT HERE: Climate-resilient healhtcare systems__FINAL

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[1] IRDES, p. 16.

[2] Seppänen, p. 2.

[3] World Bank, p. 9.

[4] See sources at the end of the document.