The climate crisis is impacting not only the planet's health but also the peoples'; including the capacity of our hospitals, especially in vulnerable countries like the Philippines, to continue serving the public during disasters. Climate change is also a public health issue after all. Being the case, healthcare professionals can play a decisive role in protecting the people's health and transform mindsets through a sustainable, climate-resilient healthcare framework.
Therefore, in an aim to highlight the important role of our medical practitioners and arm them with the necessary knowledge on the consequential link between the changing climate and health, including advocacy and communication skills to make their voices heard in the hospital setting, community, and even in the field of policy-making, we have conducted a pilot climate and health advocacy workshop last January 23 - 24, 2020 in the province of Iloilo in partnership with the Provincial Health Office and GGHH Member, St. Paul's Hospital in Iloilo.
The Workshop included Dr. Renzo Guinto, a Doctor of Public Health graduate of Harvard University, who extensively discussed the impacts of climate change on the health of our people and the planet. His topic was followed by an interactive workshop on network building and advocacy skills by Fiona Armstrong, a nurse by profession and now the executive director of Climate and Health Alliance in Australia and Paeng Lopez, HCWH SE Asia's Healthy Energy Initiative Campaigner. Ramon San Pascual, executive director of HCWH SE Asia, concluded the workshop with an introduction to the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Network and a group work on localizing climate and health campaigns.
Sr. Arcelita Sarnillo, hospital chief of the St. Paul's Hospita Iloilo and a long-time green healthcare advocate, also shared their hospital's green interventions including sustainable waste management and integrating solar panels in their facility's energy source.
This workshop was initially conceptualized as a prelude to the creation of a Climate and Health Leaders Network in the Philippines to be replicated in other countries in Southeast Asia. 2019 was a year of exposing the deadly link between climate change and health; now for 2020, it is high time to build the healthcare climate action movement in the region.###
To know more about this campaign, or if you are interested to co-organize a Climate and Health Advocacy and Communications Workshop with us, please send an email to infoasia@hcwh.org