The health community has a critical role in the response to climate change. The emerging evidence and experience in this area suggests that to be fully effective, this requires a broad public health approach, including not only the preventive and curative functions that are under direct control of the formal health sector, but also appropriate leadership, guidance and regulatory roles with regard to health-determining sectors and functions, such as water and sanitation, or disaster risk reduction.”
– World Health Organization
A Climate Resilience Maturity Matrix for Canadian Health Systems
Supplementary Material
Supplementary Table 1: Guides document that provides a list of climate action for the Climate Resilience Maturity Matrix
Health Care & Climate Change Resiliency
Health care facilities in Canada are vulnerable to climate change. Climate-related hazards are expected to create risks that can disrupt health care facility services and delivery.
The World Health Organization has called on the health care sector to prepare for climate change impacts through efforts to increase resiliency. Health care organisations in Canada can increase resiliency by continually mainstreaming climate change into risk assessments, considering climate change when developing plans and activities and engaging in broader community discussions and initiatives around climate-related issues.
A resilient health care facility is also one that commits to sustainable practices, such as water and energy conservation, promoting active transportation, and local food procurement. In investing in resiliency activities in these areas, health care facilities can reduce operating costs and increase resilience in the community.
The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care has co-developed a Health Care Facility Climate Change Resiliency Toolkit to help health care facilities become more resilient to climate-related risks.
News – International
- Health systems worldwide pledge climate action – 16 April 2015
- Doctors should take lead in push to curb climate change – experts – 28 February 2015
- Hospitals threatened by climate change – 09 February 2015
- U.s. program to aid health care climate resiliency – 22 January 2015
- Changing the climate from the inside out – 16 January 2015
- White house issues climate change guide for hospitals – 15 December 2014
- Rethink building design: 4 ways hospitals can prepare for climate change – 11 December 2014
- How hospitals are stepping up to the challenge of climate change – 27 October 2014
- 10 steps to healthcare disaster readiness – 25 August 2014
- Hospitals at increasing risk of overheating due to climate change – 08 July 2014
Reports and Publications
- Hospital disaster preparedness: the basics aren’t enough
- Primary protection: enhancing health care resilience for a changing climate
- Emergency preparedness for hospitals and health care facilities
- Webinar: preparing health care facilities in canada for climate change
- Public health and climate change: a guide for increasing the capacity of local public health departments
- Safe hospitals: prepared for emergencies and disasters
- Health in the green economy: co-benefits to health of climate change mitigation
- Adapting to climate change: an introduction for canadian municipalities
- Global warming potential of inhaled anesthetics: application to clinical use
- Safe hospitals in emergencies
News – Canada
- Has your health care facility already experienced climate-related hazards? – 26 February 2015
- Health care facilities resilient to climate change impacts – 16 December 2014
- Resilient buildings function through crises – 11 December 2014
- Health care providers prepare for extremes: climate change factors into facilities planning – 01 September 2013
- Preparing the health care industry for climate change – 02 August 2013
- The heart of the matter on climate change – 12 October 2011
