Strengthening Climate Resilient Health Systems: A Call for Collective Action

This session will provide a platform to discuss the situation in countries, challenges, solutions, and recommendations related to climate change impacts on health and wellness. The opportunity is afforded for a recommitment to regional solidarity within LAC to individually and collectively strengthen actions to better protect our health, that of future and unborn generations, as well as the health of our planet.

The session will speak to:

•  Health and climate change nexus and incurred social and economic costs. 
• Transformational opportunity that the integration of health in climate commitments represents throughout the region and the health sector's role in enabling ambitious national climate action. 
• Science-based decision-making approaches as a tool to achieve health and economic development goals with climate benefits. 
• Financing and support mechanisms are needed to scale up implementation across the LAC region, including the important role of regional cooperation in addressing transboundary challenges.

Key topics:

• Health & Climate Surveillance Systems: Understanding and monitoring health effects of climate change – and preparing health systems to anticipate, respond, and quickly recover from extreme weather events and other impacts.
• Health infrastructure: Improving safety and greening the structures of healthcare facilities so they are operational during and soon after disasters and do not contribute to emissions of greenhouse gas – the cause of climate change.
• Research & Capacity Building: Informing and training people about the effects of climate change on health and on actions to prevent harmful health effects and promote health.
• Health co-benefits: Working with other sectors to reduce environmental exposure to environmental threats and promote health.
• Health & Climate Financing: Increasing financing for health to tackle the effects of climate change.

These conclusions will be presented by a moderator and will be used for a roundtable discussion with leading experts from the region and international organizations. The session will be followed by a panel discussion on technical aspects relevant to climate change, environmental health and health for all.