27th January 2023
The World Health Organisation has stated, ‘Climate change is the single biggest threat to humanity’. The climate crisis is a health crisis. There is increasing international alarm on the impact that climate change is having on health, both directly and through the mounting pressure on our healthcare systems. The costs of inaction are huge.
A recent conference ‘Healthy Planet, Healthy People’, organised by the Institute of Public Health, Public Health Agency, Queen’s University Belfast, Ulster University, University College Cork and Health and Safety Executive Health & Wellbeing brought together leading experts from Ireland, Northern Ireland, and beyond to discuss the impacts of climate change on population health on the island of Ireland.
This excellent short video summarises the key messages from the conference from speakers including Professor John Barry (Queen’s University Belfast), Dr Nick Watts (Chief Sustainability Officer of the NHS), Dr Jenny Mack (Institute of Public Health) and Dr Maria Neira (World Health Organisation). Areas highlighted are:
- The direct and indirect impacts on health.
- The broader implications on the society, economy and healthcare systems further perpetuate inequalities.
- The necessity to act now and gain rapid momentum in climate action.
- The importance of the role of the health fraternity in using the health argument to drive change.