Our health depends on the health of the planet. The science is clear about that. Today, planetary health is in clear and present danger because of climate change, loss of biodiversity and severe pollution of water, soil and air. Consequently human health is endangered, in fact all life on earth is endangered, hence we must build bridges to a sustainable future.
This year’s theme of ISQua's 40th International Conference is more urgent than ever. Its relationship with quality improvement and safety is especially examined and demonstrated in the conference track ‘Navigating Climate Change and Sustainability in Healthcare Systems.’
As health care professionals we should be more aware and we need a new skill set in order to cope with the health consequences of the ecological crisis. At the same time our healthcare systems contribute substantially to this crisis which means that we must redesign them to become more environmentally sustainable and resilient to climate change. This is a matter of critical importance and a significant responsibility as well. The good news is that there are many practical actions and tools available to us, in our quest to make our health systems more eco-friendly. We will address this in our session ‘Greenifying the health care routine’ (10:45-11:30) on Friday, September 27th 2024.
At this exciting launch event, we will present ISQua’s latest position statement entitled ‘Green Care is High Quality Care: The ISQua Green Paper and Call to Action for Environmentally Sustainable and Climate Resilient Health Systems’. This paper was commissioned by ISQua Past President Jeffrey Braithwaite and ISQua Chief Executive Officer Carsten Engel, approved by the ISQua Board, and developed with the guidance and expertise of an international ISQua Working Group which met during 2023 and 2024.
The ISQua Green Paper does three things: it outlines the challenge before us; provides a short primer on climate change, ecological disruption and health, and describes the latest international developments; and provides practical actions to build climate resilient, environmentally sustainable and low carbon health systems.
For us, this publication is another sign of ISQua’s commitment to championing the knowledge, network, voice and action of our membership to meet this vital, global challenge to the future of health.
- Join us at the Session on Friday Sep. 27th, come share your experiences in order to brighten up our horizons and work together for a better world.
Adi Vyas / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Associate Professor of Public Health, Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL), Global Research Centre, University of Canberra, Australia.
&
Hans C Ossebaard / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Strategic Advisor, Sustainable Healthcare National Health Care Institute | Lecturer and Researcher Planetary Health, Athena Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands.