"This conference has shown me that, despite our diverse countries and cultures, we are all grappling with the same challenges at the intersection of climate change and health. Whether part of a large hospital system or a small local facility, we are deeply interconnected. The issues of sustainability affect us all, and the need for urgent, collective solutions has never been clearer.”
– Sr. Arcelita Sarnillo, Hospital Administrator, St. Paul’s Hospital Iloilo in the Philippines
Sr. Arcelita Sarnillo during her presentation in the session on Health Facility-led Movements and Leadership Building
Sr. Sarnillo is one of the over 70 speakers during the recently concluded International Scientific Conference on Climate Change and Health and the 6th Asia-Pacific Green Healthcare System Conference organized by Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia (HCWH SEA) in partnership with the Viet Nam Health Environment Management Agency (VIHEMA), and hosted by Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy (HPMU) under Viet Nam’s Ministry of Health. More than 300 participants from 27 countries, including representatives from 10 Ministries of Health, came together for the three-day conference in Hai Phong, Viet Nam, from October 30 to November 01, 2024 to tackle equity, sustainability, and climate resilience for Asian healthcare.
Co-organized with the support of leading global health and development partners, including UNICEF Viet Nam, UNDP Viet Nam, the Asian Development Bank, FHI 360, and the Center for Health Environment Research and Development (CHERAD), the conference set the stage for global climate and health leaders to address some of the most pressing climate change challenges facing Asian healthcare today, providing a collaborative platform to drive solutions and actions led by and for local communities.
Advancing Climate Action in Asian Healthcare
Under the theme, “Transforming Asian Health Systems: A Vision for Equitable, Low-Carbon, Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Healthcare,” the conference had an overall objective of building a stronger leadership and broader movement for healthcare climate action across Asia.
The impacts of climate change are continuously felt across Asia, particularly in Southeast Asia. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, flooding, prolonged heat, and shifting disease patterns pose serious challenges to the region’s healthcare systems and public health—challenges that transcend national borders.
Over the three-day event, participants from the health and other sectors across various countries came together as a unified force committed to transforming Asia’s health sector into a model that is both sustainable and equitable. Together, they contributed to the global dialogue on how healthcare institutions can serve as anchors for both climate action and social justice.
The conference featured a dynamic program that included expert panels, interactive workshops, and case study presentations by government leaders, healthcare practitioners, and climate advocates from both within and outside of Asia. Key discussions, spread across three plenary sessions and 12 parallel sessions, focused on overarching themes such as resilience, mitigation, and adaptation; health equity and justice; and healthcare leadership and advocacy.
Bringing together a diverse pool of international expert speakers and a wide-ranging audience from local, national, and regional health communities, the event explored specific subtopics including climate-smart data, disaster-risk management, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), plastic pollution, sustainable supply chains, children’s health, waste management, cross-sectoral collaboration, and the empowerment of health professionals, among others.
"We are keenly aware that meaningful change is not gonna happen overnight. Our next step is focused on building deeper capacity, empowering more leaders, and embedding sustainable practices that meet the unique needs of our health system. And we know we are just beginning and we welcome any opportunity to learn and collaborate with everybody here, and those who have paved the way or those who are tackling similar challenges. So we are here to connect, to listen, and to grow. Because a resilient health system is not built by one organization alone, but a shared dedication of a global community, by a community like this."
– Dr. Noor Affizan Rahman, Lead and Deputy Chair of the Climate, Health, and Sustainability Taskforce, Ministry of Health Brunei Darussalam
Dr. Noor Affizan Rahman during her speech in the plenary session on Health Leadership and Advocacy
Recognizing Sustainable Health Facilities in Asia
One of the core highlights of the conference was the convening of HCWH SEA’s Global Green and Healthy Hospitals (GGHH) Network, an international network of hospitals, health care facilities, health systems, and health organizations dedicated to reducing their environmental footprint and promoting public and environmental health. Over the three-day event, representatives from 18 GGHH members in the region participated as attendees, resource persons, and co-organizers.
Several of these members were honored at the Southeast Asia Green Hospital Awards, where seven hospitals from Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Philippines received recognition for their exceptional leadership in sustainability and environmental stewardship. Among them, St. Paul’s Hospital Iloilo (SPHI) in the Philippines stood out for its outstanding commitment to all ten sustainability goals of the GGHH. Representing Southeast Asia with pride, SPHI was also one of only seven hospitals globally to receive HCWH’s prestigious 2024 Health Care Climate Champion award, a testament to their consistent and impactful climate action over the years.
“We had three days of very rich presentations from colleagues working at multilateral organizations, at the government level, in hospital systems, healthcare facilities, and also from people on the frontline implementing the changes… On the first day, we said, ‘Get inspired,’ and hopefully, you got inspired. You have seen how change is possible, and this has helped us reimagine how we can transform healthcare. Get connected. Share with your colleagues. Try to get peers to support your work. We invite you to join the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Network, and there are other platforms for you to join as well… And the last aspect is to take action. Hopefully, when you get back home, you will continue this journey by taking action—and taking action now, because later is too late.”
– Mariano De Donatis, Global Chief Program Officer, Health Care Without Harm
Mariano De Donatis on his speech during the conference closing ceremony
As the 6th installment of HCWH SEA’s Green Hospitals Asian Conference (GHAC), the International Scientific Conference on Climate Change and Health and the 6th Asia-Pacific Green Healthcare System Conference fostered an environment for local health professionals across Asia to co-learn and collaborate with colleagues, leaders, advocates, and allies from the region and globally. As the main organizer, HCWH SEA envisions the momentum built in Hai Phong translating into tangible actions within participants' respective health communities. While the team continues with post-event efforts, we eagerly anticipate reconvening this global community to reflect on progress, share outcomes, and advance our shared vision for a healthier planet and healthier people.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Donna Ocmeja, Conference Communications Lead | Communications Manager, HCWH SEA | Email: docmeja@hcwh.org