On December 14, representatives from public and private health systems in India participated in the Eastern Region Leadership Conclave on Healthcare Sustainability and Climate Action. The meeting took place in Bhubaneswar, and was organized by the Indian Institute of Public Health Bhubaneswar (IIPHB) and the Centre for Environmental Health (CEH) of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI).
The conclave aimed to expand the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals (GGHH) network across public and private hospitals in India through the Health and Environment Leadership Platform (HELP). HELP was launched in 2017 by PHFI, in partnership with Health Care Without Harm, and is the India chapter of the GGHH network.
During the sessions, participants discussed challenges and opportunities for health care decarbonization, fostering climate resilience, and advancing government policy at the state and national levels, with a focus on assessing the carbon footprint of health care centers.
“Currently, the health sector is contributing to 5% of greenhouse gas emissions through extensive energy consumption, purchasing medical equipment, and poor management of biomedical waste. Post-COVID, there is an increase in demand for private healthcare services, increased use of air purifiers, and frequent heat waves. There is also a shortage of human resources in India. There should be strong policy focused on reducing emissions and on the health system, as seen in the recent COP28,” said Dr. Upasona Ghosh, Assistant Professor, IIPHB - PHFI.
Dr. Upasona Ghosh, Faculty PHFI, discussing the impact of climate change
About Health and Environment Leadership Platform (HELP)
HELP is a knowledge-sharing and networking platform for hospitals, health care organizations, health systems, and professionals working to reduce the environmental footprint of the Indian health care sector, and to promote public and environmental health. Learn more.