Health Care Without Harm at COP27

Update November 10, 2022

Live stream links and more information added daily. All event times are shown in local time (Egypt, EET). To calculate the time in your local time zone, visit this page.

Also read: Health care climate action gains momentum from COP26 to COP27

 

November 7 | 9:00

CAHA Live from COP27

Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA) is Health Care Without Harm’s strategic partner in Australia. Arthur Wyns, CAHA’s Policy & Advocacy Manager will be on the ground in Sharm El-Sheikh during COP27. On biweekly calls, he'll be updating us on what's happening at COP27 day-by-day, and the implications for our climate and our health. He'll also be inviting some special and diverse guests on to offer their perspectives.

Webinar sessions will be: 

  • 7 November
  • 10 November
  • 14 November
  • 17 November

Watch the recording

 

November 8 | 12:45 - 13:45

The New York Times climate forward conversations - Sharm El-Sheikh | Respecting human rights in a changing climate

The New York Times Climate Forward event in Sharm El-Sheikh is centered around the theme Climate On the Verge, and will culminate a year of programming from The New York Times.

About the workshop:

Air pollution — be it through crop burning, toxic waste or heavy industry — has already taken over 10 million lives and cost the world $8.1 trillion, with poorer communities suffering the most. In July 2022, the U.N. General Assembly recognized the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment — including the right to clean air — as a human right. Despite emerging legislation around this issue, there is so much more than can be done to improve the health of impacted communities. Which efforts should be scaled and deployed to secure clean, healthy air? How can we ensure impacted communities are heard and included in solutions? How can we ensure that the human right to clean air is upheld at the national and local level?

Dr Arvind Kumar, Founder Trustee of Lung Care Foundation and Doctors for Clean Air and Climate Action, Health Care Without Harm’s strategic partners will be a speaker. 

Learn more

 

November 8 | 13:00 - 14:30

Foreign Policy Magazine - Sanofi COP27 Event | Strengthening Health Systems in the Face of Climate Change

On the occasion of the COP27 conference in Sharm El-Sheikh and with support from Sanofi, Foreign Policy (FP) Magazine will convene leaders from government, industry, and civil society to discuss the range of climate-related impacts on health and explore the ways in which the industry can pro-actively invest in more climate-resilient healthcare systems and mitigate climate-impact throughout global supply chains. This event will be underpinned by new research from FP Analytics, Foreign Policy’s independent research division.

Speakers:

  • Elena Villalobos Prats, Technical Officer of Climate Change and Health at the World Health Organization (WHO)
  • Dr. John Balbus, Acting Director, Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Josh Karliner, Director of Global Partnerships, Health Care Without Harm
  • Dr. Omnia El Omrani, Youth Envoy for COP27
  • Dr. Mayesha Alam, Vice President of Research, FP Analytics
  • Ravi Agrawal, Editor-in-Chief, Foreign Policy - Moderator

Climate pavilion, Park Regency Sharm El-Sheikh Registration link

 

November 9 | 11:30 - 13:00 

WHO, UK and Egypt, COP27 High-level side event "Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH)"

This high-level side event take place at COP27 to showcase the experience of countries that have already committed to building climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems and invite other Member States, as well as non-state actors, to join the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) works to realize the ambition set at COP26. 

The agenda of the side event will be made available soon.Sharm El-Sheikh International Convention Center (SHICC) | Watch the recording

Learn more about ATACH

 

November 9 | 13:05 - 13:50

Ride For Their Lives at the COP 27

Ride for their Lives (RTFL) 2022 is a global campaign initiative that aims to mobilize the healthcare community to raise awareness of the health impacts of the climate crisis in the run-up to COP27.
At this event, we will hear doctors and riders who participated in the campaign about their experiences of the ride and how it has inspired them and their institutions to take further action. Claudia Paz Giraldo, Technical projects facilitator for Latin America at Health Care Without Harm, was part of the initiative in a personal capacity and will be a speaker.

Climate Action Zone, Blue Zone | Watch the recording

 

November 10 | 10:00 - 11:15

COP27 Side Event | Urgent action to strengthen climate change education for all health professionals 

The Capacity Building Subcommittee of the WHO-Civil Society Working Group to Advance Action on Climate Change and Health in partnership with the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education, launched a special call for strengthening climate change education for all health professionals, together with an Open Letter with recommendations to all health education stakeholders in June 2022. The proposed side event, co-organized with the WHO HQ, the WHO EMRO and WHO SEAO, is a continuing effort of the partnership to showcase innovative case studies in curriculum development on climate change, planetary health, and sustainable healthcare. The event will highlight the importance of climate change education in building the capacity of health professionals for better preparedness and responses to the climate crisis. We hope to inspire more actions that can lead to regional/national/local changes in health training programs and equip future health workforce with essential knowledge and skills to save lives from climate change.

Panelists:

  • Azeeza Rangunwala, Public Health Association of South Africa,
  • Poornima Prabhakaran, Head, Environmental Health and Director, Environmental Health, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFA) and
  • Amba-Rose Atkinson, a young Gumbaynggirr nyami woman representing Climate and Health Alliance Australia (CAHA).

Climate Action Zone, Blue Zone | Watch the recording

 

November 10 | 12:28 - 12:58

Devex @ COP 27 | Taking a toll: Climate change as a health emergency

 Devex will host a series of provocative conversations on global development and climate change on the sidelines of the COP 27 negotiations in person in Sharm El-Sheikh. Devex will dig into cross-cutting issues such as health, food systems, migration, and finance, and how climate intersects with every facet of achieving the sustainable development goals.

Devex journalists will bring together a cross-section of leaders from government, civil society, INGOs, private sector, financial institutions, philanthropies, and other change-makers to ask the tough questions on how climate disruption is changing the work, urgency, and challenges of achieving the global goals.

Speakers

  • Alice BellHead of Policy, Climate and Health, Wellcome Trust
  • Ashley LashleyBarbadian UNICEF youth advocate; executive director, Ashley Lashley Foundation
  • Diana Picon ManyariInternational Climate Director, Health Care Without Harm
  • Sara Jerving (moderator)Senior reporter, Devex

Grand Rotana Resort & Spa, Sharm El-Sheikh | Watch the recording

 

November 10 | 15:00 - 16:00

U.S. Center, STRONG MEDICINE: U.S. Progress in Enhancing Health System Sustainability and Resilience at Home and Abroad

Organized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; U.S. Department of State; U.S. Agency for International Development
This event will demonstrate U.S. leadership at the nexus of climate and health, including via partnerships underway domestically and internationally. Panelists will describe ways that these initiatives are promoting mitigation and adaptation in the context of both public health and health care. The session will also identify next steps for this vital, life-saving work.

Watch the recording

 

November 10 | 16:30 - 18:00

UNFCCC and Health Care Without Harm | Health Futures Lab: Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Transforming the Health Care Sector

Organized by UNFCCC High Level Climate Champions and Health Care Without Harm, in partnership with Climate and Health Alliance (Australia); Lung Care Foundation/Doctors for Clean Air (India); the Global Climate and Health Alliance; groundWork (South Africa); Health and Climate Network; Médecins Sans Frontières; Public Health Foundation of India; and the World Health Organization.

The event will explore what a net zero, resilient health system could look like and how this transformational change contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and a just and healthy future without fossil fuels.

Confirmed speakers include Dr. Maria Neira, World Health Organization; Dr. Maria Guevara, Médecins Sans Frontières, Dr. Arvind Kumar, Doctors for Clean Air; Dr. Courtney Howard, Global Climate and Health Alliance, Tasneem Essop, Climate Action Network, International. 

View the full program

 Action Room 1 (Ibis), Blue Zone | Watch the recording 

 

November 11 | 14:00 - 15:15

COP27 Side Event | Fueling Health Harms: The Human Costs of Fossil Fuels

Burning fossil fuels presents severe threats to human and planetary health in the form of air pollution and climate change. There are also specific human and occupational health risks associated with every stage of fossil fuel operations. Phasing out fossil fuel use and extraction offers an opportunity to improve health and address health inequities. 

This session will feature speakers who address the health risks of extracting and using fossil fuels, as well as routes to a just transition away from fossil fuels. 

Dr. Poornima Prabhakaran, Public Health Foundation of India, will be a speaker. 

Climate Action Zone, Blue Zone | Watch the recording

 

November 11 | 17:00 - 19:00

Health Care Without Harm, COP27 Side Event | Transforming health systems through decarbonization and resilience

Organized by Health Care Without Harm, Geneva Sustainability Centre (GSC), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This session will promote a lively conversation about experiences from diverse health systems and contexts, where different strategies are needed to build resilience through mitigation, sustainability and adaptation. In these diverse environments, equipping healthcare leaders with data, tools and skills to move these strategies forward is key, to support strategies and develop policies. 

Speakers:

  • Dr. Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, WHO
  • Steven Cornish, General Director, MSF Switzerland
  • Patrick Youssef, Director for Africa, ICRC
  • Sonia Roschnik, Geneva Sustainability Centre
  • Ali Santore, Providence, Geneva Sustainability Centre (IHF Member) 
  • Dr. Bouakeo Souvanhthong, Deputy Director General, Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion (DHHP), Ministry of Health Lao People’s Democratic Republic
  • Dr. Poornima Prabhakaran, Centre for Chronic Disease Control/Public Health Foundation of India
  • Marina Romanello, Lancet Countdown
  • Antonella Risso, Health Care Without Harm
  • Diana Picon Manyari, Health Care Without Harm
  • Manjit Kaur Sohal, Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia
  • Patricia Nayna Schwerdtle, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH) and MSF 

Climate Action Zone, Blue Zone | Watch the recording

November 14 | 17:00- 18:15 (EET)

COP 27 Side Event: Towards Green Transformation – Sharm El Sheikh International Hospital 

Egypt Healthcare Authority is the governmental body responsible for healthcare service provision under the law of Universal Health Insurance issued in 2018. EHA is currently implemented in 6 governorates ok it of 27. Universal Health Insurance is expected to be fully implemented covering the whole country by the year 2030. Committed to Egypt’s strategy 2030, NDC, global commitment to COP26 health program and Egypt hosting COP27, EHA has it upon oneself to start the journey of green transformation to provide sustainable environmentally friendly healthcare facilities resilient to climate change. The journey started in Sharm El Sheikh International Hospital, hopefully to be generalized all over Egypt. 

 The main objectives of the event are: 

  • Introduce Egypt Healthcare Authority and the current health system transformation. 
  • Highlight efforts being undertaken to green-transform Sharm El Sheikh International. Hospital into sustainable environmentally friendly healthcare facility resilient to climate change. 
  • Showcase carbon footprint report of the hospital. 
  • Discuss Challenges and opportunities of green transformation in EHA

Speakers:

  • Dr Ahmed El Sobky. Chairman of Egypt Healthcare Authority 
  • Dr. Naeema Al Gasseer. WHO Representative in Egypt
  • Dr Magdy Bakr. Advisor of EHA Chairman on Technical Affairs & WHO Health System Consultant 
  • Dr Ahmed Hammad. Director of the Chairman of EHA Technical Office 
  • Josh Karliner. Director of Global Partnerships, Healthcare without Harm
  • Eng. Mohamed Mahmoud. Member of UNFCCC Roster of Experts, Carbon Footprint WHO Team Leader
  • Dr Nermeen Ashour. Green Hospitals Technical Manager

Climate Action Zone, Blue Zone | Watch the recording

 

November 14 | 18:00 - 19:00

ICC-APCO COP27 virtual side event | Make Climate Action Everyone’s Business Forum. Planetary health: Protecting lives and the environment

The ICC Make Climate Action Everyone’s Business Forum – a hybrid event broadcasted from the COP27 Blue Zone – will present expertise from more than 70 organizations representing the global business community, forward-thinking governments and international partners. Climate leaders from every country are invited to interface with their predecessors, peers and voices of the future to align for twelve days of high-quality engagement.

Climate change is often considered the greatest health emergency of the 21st century. From heart and lung disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heat and humidity-related diseases and even mental health, the impact of climate change on our health is very complex and deserves far more attention. Healthcare leaders can play a pivotal role in responding to these challenges by fostering innovation for climate mitigation and adaptation by the healthcare sector and making climate-informed decisions to meet the needs of patients today, and in the future.

Gary Cohen, co-founder and president of Health Care Without Harm, will be a speaker at "Planetary health: Protecting lives and the environment" session. 

Register now

November 17 | 17:00 - 18:15

COP27 Side Event | Responding to Climate Disasters—Perspectives from Emergency Medicine 

Climate change is adversely impacting human health with disproportionate effects on populations in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) despite their relatively low contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions. The health manifestations of extreme weather events such as heat, tropical cyclones, wildfires, and droughts are only expected to worsen without rapid action. Malnutrition, traumatic injuries, chronic disease exacerbations, behavioral health disorders, and changing infectious disease burdens represent climate-related health impacts. Countries in Africa are particularly susceptible due to location and socioeconomic activities. Emergency units will be on the frontline of addressing the health impacts despite resource limitations and surges in demand for services already. The call for action has been viewed as a significant opportunity for enhanced leadership and commitments focused on mitigation and adaptation in LMICs. In this session, emergency clinicians and organizations will highlight their experiences in caring for patients with climate-sensitive conditions and vulnerable groups impacted by the climate crisis. The session will conclude with next steps that governments, organizations, and clinicians can take to incorporate health into climate work and better prepare their communities for the next climate-related disaster.

Ms. Mafoko Phomane, Environmental Health Campaign Manager at groundWork, Health Care Without Harm’s strategic partner in South Africa will be a speaker. 

Climate Action Zone, Blue Zone | Watch the recording

 

November 18 | 11:30 - 12:45

COP27 Side Event | Financing for health justice: the health community’s role in delivering loss, damage & reparations

Health is an undoubted core element of climate justice: as MAPA communities burden the health impact of climate change, challenges and barriers to adaptation strategies geared towards health for those most impacted are critical to justice conversations. In the final hours of COP27, this interactive panel discussion seeks to explore the next steps for climate financing, loss and damage, and reparations in the context of the health community. Alongside health professionals, consultants, and policymakers with experience working on issues of climate financing, health, and justice, this conversation will highlight climate and health justice priorities in climate financing, how our speakers navigate barriers and challenges associated with current funding models, and success stories and next steps for justice-oriented climate and health financing.

Manjit Kaur Sohal, Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia, will be a speaker. 

Climate Action Zone, Blue Zone | livestream link