Since the December 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26), more than 80 countries have committed to develop climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems. Yet there is no shared understanding of what this commitment means, how it is translated into practice and what constitutes a climate-resilient, low-carbon health system. Given all the other competing, urgent challenges facing policymakers, there is a need to support national and local policymakers better to understand where to start, what to prioritize and how to move forward to ensure health systems and health policies are mitigating, adapting and building resilience. This session will explore how health policy and systems research can support national and local policymakers responding to the climate crisis. It will highlight the critical role of research in addressing climate challenges within health systems, showcasing country efforts to leverage research for building climate-resilient health systems. Participants will discuss practical approaches to integrating research into national policies and share lessons from ongoing efforts across different regions.
Speakers
- Rt. Hon. Helen Clark – Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research
- Kumanan Rasanathan – Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research
- Megan Gaffey – Department of Health and Social Care, United Kingdom
- Robert Marten – Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research
- Luciana Castronuovo – Fundacion Interamericana del Corazon, Argentina
- Meghnath Dhimal – Health Research Council, Nepal
- Ali Mohammad Mosadeghrad – Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran
- Rawlance Ndejjo – Makerere University, Uganda
- Maysaa Nemer – Birzeit University, West Bank
- Kara Hanson – Programme Director for NIHR Global Health Research and Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
