Tsinghua hosts Geneva Health Forum Satellite Symposium

The Satellite Symposium of Geneva Health Forum 2024 under the theme “Safeguarding Health from Climate Change: Uniting for Resilience and Action” was hosted by Tsinghua University Vanke School of Public Health (Tsinghua VSPH). This symposium convenes an alliance of global stakeholders: environmental health experts, climate scientists, public health leaders, government officials, and young scholars, to share the latest knowledge and experiences.

Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. It transcends environmental paradigms, encompassing vital public health dimensions. The escalation of extreme weather phenomena—heatwaves, floods, droughts, and wildfires—ushers in substantial health risks to humanity. These climatic adversities disproportionately burden vulnerable communities and amplify existing health disparities.

Dr. Margaret Chan, dean of Tsinghua VSPH and Antoine Flahault, founding director of the Global Health Institute, University of Geneva, extended a warm welcome to attendees.

“The problem is that the lack of time of mitigation action really puts health at risk.” Andy Haines, a professor at the London School of Health and Tropical Medicine, highlighted the extensive health impacts of climate change. He called for governments and major emitters to lead with proactive measures, including early warning systems and healthcare system strengthening.

“We need to ensure that the health argument accelerates action on climate change and gives more urgency and ambition to our efforts,” said Maria Neira, director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Health at WHO. “So, what do we need? Health systems that are better prepared and more climate-resilient.”

Nature Medicine's Senior Editor, Ming Yang, emphasized the essential role of researching the adverse health effects of climate change to support and shape future policy initiatives. He pointed out a significant gap and geographical limitations in research on health outcomes such as non-communicable diseases, child health, mental health, and food security. Ming Yang advocates for a shift in focus toward implementation studies on the effectiveness of intervention measures, economic assessments, and decision-support tools.

Jan-Willem Scheijgrond, vice-president of Royal Philips, argued with transformation, the healthcare sector reduces its own carbon footprint. He proposed three key areas for achieving this transformation: adopting circular economy models to minimize carbon impact, improving procurement practices to prioritize sustainability, and shifting towards primary care to enhance preventive measures and reduce hospital admissions.

Over the past two years, our faculty at VSPH has published at least 30 scientific papers in the field of climate change and human health, Cunrui Huang, vice dean of Tsinghua VSPH, said that climate change is forcing people to rethink their consumption patterns, energy choices, and lifestyles. This presents an important opportunity for public health, as many actions to combat climate change could yield substantial health co-benefits.

John S. Ji, an associate professor at VSPH, moderated the panel discussion.

Tamara Lucas, a member of the WHO Ethics and Climate Health Expert Group, pointed out that discussions on the role of food systems in climate change and health research are not as prominent as other areas within climate change research. As an editor of The Lancet, she handled the EAT-Lancet Commission, which is popularizing the concept of a "planetary health diet" to shift this focus, with a second report that considers cultural specificity.

Health has gradually become an area of discussion in climate change negotiations through advocacy. “Health considerations are now entering the core of climate actions and negotiations,” said Zhang Jian, vice dean of the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua University. He suggested more interdisciplinary collaboration and research in areas such as water, air, food, and ecosystems to enhance global adaptation efforts. Zhang Zhenyu estimated that the health sector comprises a significant portion of carbon emissions.

Liang Wannian, executive vice dean of Tsinghua VSPH, called for enhanced in-depth cooperation and exchange. He emphasized that climate change is a major health problem. It affects everyone, and we need to promote health for all.

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News | Tsinghua hosts Geneva Health Forum Satellite Symposium

Source: Vanke School of Public Health

Editors: Li Han, Fang Si

Designer: Chen Hongxin

Reviewers: Chen Ken, Lin Yuan