Ensuring the resilience of health systems in the face of the effects of climate change

The health of the planet and that of people are inextricably linked. As the environment deteriorates, human health is directly and indirectly impacted by the increased prevalence and severity of existing and emerging diseases.More specifically, climate change is one of the major challenges we have to address in order to safeguard future health as well as to ensure continuity of care and the effectiveness of health systems.Health systems suffer direct impacts from climate change and face four distinct challenges.1. Becoming resilient: heath infrastructures are impacted by the effects of climate change, such as the need to cool premises during heatwaves, disruptions to energy supplies, and securing logistics chains.2. Preparing for the exacerbation of chronic diseases that will lead to an overload of the health system.3. Identifying faster and more effective treatments for patients affected by the effects of climate change.4. Finding a way to embed prevention into patient pathways.Equally, health systems must cut their environmental impacts, particularly their greenhouse gas emissions: they are responsible for around 5% of total global emissions, equivalent to the world’s fifth largest emitting country.It makes for a complex equation. All stakeholder groups, each with a specific role to play, must be involved in designing and adopting solutions while also accelerating the implementation of “carbon neutral” health systems that are equitable and prioritize patient well-being.