WHEN Climate Change & Health, January 2008
.jpg) |
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) |
%20copyb.jpg)
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 “Global public health and climate change” (PP 15MB) |
 | Robin Stott Consultant physician |
 | Maryke van Staden Coordinator European Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Campaign Climate & Air Team “Climate Change: How cities & towns can adapt” (PP 600KB) |
 | Christian Farrar-Hockley Policy Officer |
 | Carlos Dora |
 | Anna Coote Commissioner for Health “Preventing illness caused by climate change” (PP 5MB) “Preventing chronic disease” (PP 3MB) “Preventing chronic disease” Text (PDF 200KB) “Preventing chronic disease” Presentation (PDF 250KB) |
 | Peter Helm Professor of Child health University of Aberdeen and European Respiratory Society "Climate change and lung health" (PP 5MB) submitted after the meeting |
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. |
 |
Australian Youth Delegation "Ideas and suggestions" (PDF 100KB) |
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. |
 | The World Health Editors Network (WHEN) is an international inter-professional exchange and action platform dedicated to exploring and strengthening communications as a positive determinant of health. |