Answer:
First, the health sector should lead by example, reducing health systems’ emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) while helping to stimulate change in the entire health system supply chain. To achieve that, health care facilities need to be made safer, more resilient, and more environmentally friendly.
Reducing emissions helps mitigate the impacts of climate change and improves air quality, with beneficial health gains. Worldwide, more than 7 million deaths annually are attributable to air pollution (8), and air quality in 20% of cities in high-income countries and 90% of cities in low- and middle-income countries in the Americas do not meet WHO air quality guidelines (9). Globally, health-related costs attributable to polluting fuels were US$ 5.3 trillion in 2015 y(10), more than the total spent on health by all the world’s governments. A coordinated effort to reduce emissions by health and other sectors would have a truly global positive impact.
Second, the health sector must focus on adapting to the changing climate. Health personnel should participate in training to identify and understand the effect of climate change; advocate and act to reduce the climate footprint produced by the health sector; and help to increase health systems’ resilience.
Third, the health sector also has a role to play in maximizing health co-benefits in intersectoral actions. Health outcomes need to be considered when planning energy, transportation, food, water, and urban systems. Further, when discussing health, it is crucial to identify related and interacting health concerns and responses of politically, economically, and socially marginalized people. In this chapter, crosscutting actions are proposed to advance integrated and effective responses to the climate change agenda in the Americas.
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