2008 WHEN Climate Change & Health

Key communicators actively engaged in these initiatives presented their learning to the workshop, some of which is available below.

Roberto Bertollini
Senior Advisor
Public Health and the Environment
Robin Stott
Consultant physician
Maryke van Staden
Coordinator
European Cities for Climate Protection (CCP)
Campaign Climate & Air Team
Christian Farrar-Hockley
Policy Officer
(PP 4.5MB)
Carlos Dora
Transport and health -
Lessons from integrating health into transport strategies
”(
PP 4.5MB)
Anna Coote
Commissioner for Health
Peter Helm
Professor of Child health
University of Aberdeen and European Respiratory Society
"Climate change and lung health"
(PP 5MB)
submitted after the meeting

 


 


 







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WHEN BRIEFING/WORKSHOP COMMUNICATING CLIMATE CHANGE & HEALTH

23-24 January 2008 - Geneva, Switzerland

WHO selected "Protecting Health from Climate Change" as the theme of this year's World Health Day (April 7). As part of WHO’s preparation for the day and beyond, WHEN was invited to hold a workshop on Communicating Climate Change and Health.

The aim of the workshop was twofold. Firstly, the briefing provided attendees with an exclusive, early overview of the latest WHO data and strategic thinking on the current and projected impact of climate change on the global burden of disease. Secondly, the meeting highlighted examples of good communication practice related to climate change and health and provided WHO with some guidance on how to strengthen health considerations in the climate change debate.

The briefing/workshop looked at initiatives which are communicating information to six target audiences: the general public, local authorities, the transport sector, the youth/education sector, corporations and health professionals. These initiatives include a massive effort to reduce the carbon footprint of the UK’s National Health Service (Europe’s largest employer!), municipality-based campaigns, and programmes targeted at young people, the transport sector and health professionals.

The full report of the meeting is available here (PDF 1MB)

 

The meeting was joined by the Australian Youth Delegation to Model UN, who actively entered into the discussion on health and climate change, and presented their key points for communicators and policy and decision maker.

Photos courtesy of Diana Zajec, journalist and health editor, Delo, Slovenia.

The views offered by the presenters at the meeting do not necessarily reflect the views of any of the sponsoring organisations.

Australian Youth Delegation "Ideas and suggestions" (PDF 100KB)

 

The World Health Editors Network (WHEN) is an international interprofessional exchange and action platform dedicated to exploring and strengthening communications as a positive determinant of health.