But today, we have an opportunity to build on the lessons from the COVID pandemic to prevent future crises and to strengthen our ability to respond to them when they arrive.
We hope our leaders will seize the moment.
The COVID-19 pandemic 🦠 has offered a snapshot of how unprepared we are for such a disruptive event.
Scientists have long warned us that left unaddressed, climate change would transform our environment, our food systems, and our living conditions, all of which have potentially devastating consequences for our health 🩺
#ClimateChange is a real and long-term threat that should be addressed through lasting solutions. #COP26
Extreme weather ☀️⛈ events that result in health emergencies are just one of the risks we face.
…and we can adapt our health systems by building greener ♻️ facilities and by lowering emissions at every stage of our supply chains from production to transportation.
We can improve by lowering carbon emissions from energy, heating, and cooling operations of health care facilities…
The health sector itself is a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with estimates suggesting it may be responsible for 5 to 10 percent of carbon emissions worldwide.
PAHO has been working with Member States in the Caribbean to build safer, greener, climate-resilient facilities that can continue to function in the face of changing climate and extreme events – like hurricanes and rising sea levels 🌊
So, countries must invest in their health systems 🏥 so they have the staff, training, and resources to face future climate risks.
But health systems should not just be robust, they should also be resilient.
As we’ve seen throughout the COVID pandemic 🦠, the success of our responses rests on our health systems’ ability to adapt and to expand to meet people’s needs.
