Webinar: Code Red for the health response in Latin America and the Caribbean: enhancing people's health through climate action

Webinar presenting an article published in Lancet Regional Health – Americas and virtual panel discussion with representatives of organizations of the Climate and Health Network of Latin America and the Caribbean

Please watch the recording of the virtual launch of the viewpoint!

 

Santiago, Chile, April 20, 2022: – Following publication of an article in Lancet Regional Health – Americas by representatives of organizations that make up the Climate and Health Network of Latin America and the Caribbean, the webinar presented the article’s message, “Code Red for the health response in Latin America and the Caribbean: improving people’s health through climate action”.

The Lancet viewpoint article, published on April 20th, describes the overlapping social, climate and hhttps://bit.ly/3qVVc20ealth challenges that afflict the region and highlights the key climate action role that the health sector must play, in order to promote intersectoral action through the prism of health co-benefits. The article also calls on governments to step up climate ambition by strengthening adaptation and mitigation measures, focusing on health and equity, and accelerating the phase-out of fossil fuels, while investing in the resilience of their countries’ health systems.

During the April 21st webinar, representatives of organizations that make up the Climate and Health Network of Latin America and the Caribbean discussed how the health community and the health sector must lead several strands of work to ensure a healthier and more equitable future.

The event was organized by the Global Alliance for Climate and Health (GCHA) and the Latin American Center of Excellence in Climate Change and Health (CLIMA as per its Spanish acronym), in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Salud sin Daño, the journal Lancet Regional Health – Americas, the Chilean Society for Planetary Health (SoChiSap) and the Children’s Environmental Health Committee of the Chilean Society of Pediatrics (SOCHIPE).

About the article
The Lancet Regional Health – Americas viewpoint article “Red Code for the health response in Latin America and the Caribbean: improving people’s health through climate action” sets a precedent by evidencing the knowledge, experience, and commitment of a wide range of organizations in the region that work on the link between climate and health.

For this reason, and because of its relevance following the recent findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the article was welcomed by the journal Lancet Regional Health – Americas.

Read: Code Red for Health response in Latin America and the Caribbean: Enhancing peoples’ health through climate action

In addition, a Spanish version is available as supplementary material for the article.

About the virtual event
The webinar seeks to highlight the challenges and opportunities faced by the populations of Latin America and the Caribbean in relation to their health, in a context of a changing climate. In this sense, it will not only highlight the need to improve the ambition and financing of adaptation and mitigation measures, but it will also offer clues about how to promote climate action and population health through capacity building and promotion of climate and health policies.

The list of speakers includes Jeni Miller (GCHA), Marisol Yglesias-González (Lancet Countdown South America), Stella Hartinger (Lancet Countdown South America), Taissa Vila (Lancet Regional Health Americas), Andrea Hurtado Epstein (Health without Harm), Sandra Cortés (SOCHIPE), Daniel Buss (OPS), Yasna Palmeiro (SoChiSap) and James Hospedales (Earthmedic). Mauricio Ilabaca, president of the Environment Department of the Medical College of Chile will be in charge of the moderation.

About the Climate and Health Network of Latin America and the Caribbean
Convened by the Global Climate and Health Alliance, the Latin American and Caribbean Climate and Health Network includes organizations of health professionals and health students, climate and health research centers, and NGOs. This is the first alliance of its kind in the region, which works on the common task of minimizing the impacts of climate change on human health and realizing public health benefits through climate mitigation and adaptation. The network represents a wide diversity in geography and experience in Latin America and the Caribbean.
More information.

Contact: [email protected]