June 6, 2019 -- In observance of the World Environment Day, HCWH Southeast Asia in partnership with the National Children's Hospital (NCH), a leading Department of Health (DOH) hospital in the Philippines, conducted a Public Health Forum on the Health Impacts of Climate Change, Plastic and Air Pollution.
The forum aims to gather support from the health sector and the communities they serve to address three of the biggest environmental issues we face.
The National Children’s Hospital, being a public hospital, aims to be a health institution at the forefront of solving these crises. Dr. Epifania Simbul, Hospital Administrator of NCH pointed out that, “The health sector including health institutions like our hospital must strive to lead the way in answering environmental problems that affect out health, especially if our own sector has been contributing to those problems.”
“It is time our sector becomes not just defender of people’s health, but defender of environmental health as well,” she added.
For his part, Health Care Without Harm's Healthy Energy Campaigner, Paeng Lopez stated that, "More and more we see different sectors like school children and scientists etc coming out of their comfort zones to chime in on different environmental issues, and the time has ripened for the health sector to finally pitch in their invaluable expertise to help frame and emphasize the ramifications of these problems to our health, and, of course, defend us from them."
Dr. Epifania Simbul - Medical Center Chief II, National Children's Hospital (NCH)
Dr. Agnes Rico-Mendoza - Associate Professor 4, St. Luke's College of Medicine WHQM
Dr. Mylene Cayetano - Balik-Scientist & Research Professor at the Institue of Environmental Science and Meteorology
Dr. Glenn Roy Paraso - Mary Johnston Hospital CEO and Climate & Health Champion
Beau Baconguis - Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA Asia Pacific) and Break Free From Plastic
Paeng Lopez - Healthy Energy Initiative Campaigner of HCWH SE Asia
Moresa Reyes - Sustainability Officer for Global Green and Healthy Hospitals SE Asia
Dr. Mendoza closed the discussion with a challenge to the health care and public sector, "To recognize the things we do that contribute to the climate crisis or air pollution or plastic pollution - then let us take action to address them."
To know more about our #HealthyAirNow Campaign, send an email to info@no-harm.org or take this Pledge