From November 21 to 24, government leaders, policy makers, and health organizations will gather in Shanghai for the World Health Organization’s 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion. This year’s theme, “Promoting health, promoting sustainable development: Health for all, and all for health,” aims to highlight the important links between promoting health and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Goals.
Health Care Without Harm Asia, as one of the groups invited to present at the conference, supports the event’s objective to promote health literacy and highlight the health sector’s crucial role in protecting public health through sustainable development.
“Emphasizing health as a central priority in the sustainable development goals is key in urging our governments and various sectors to fast-track our efforts toward a sustainable world,” expressed HCWH Asia Director Ramon San Pascual. “Investing in our people’s health should also mean investing in the health sector and challenging our health systems, hospitals, and health professionals to become more conscious of their roles as advocates of health in their communities, whether by championing health literacy or promoting sustainable healthcare practices, and tackling the health impacts of environmental factors such as climate change.”
San Pascual will be part of the conference, as one of the presenters during the Health Literacy forum on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). Health Care Without Harm’s Global Green and Healthy Hospitals program - a worldwide network of health systems, hospitals, and health facilities - assists members to reduce their carbon footprint and promote public and environmental health through innovative tools and resources.
The 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion is organized by World Health Organization and hosted by the Government of China and the Municipal Government of Shanghai.