Wales Africa Health Conference The challenge of climate change: sharing solutions for a carbon free future Ben Simms, CEO – THET 1st October 2019 @THETlinks @bensimms65

What the public believe

doesn’t have the 2.1mn from the AG added to the top figure

Climate change threatens 50 years of progress in global health, Lancet study says

Modulating influences Socio economic decline Pathways by which climate change may affect health outcomes (Haines and Patz 2003) Modulating influences HEALTH EFFECTS Extreme weather-related health effects Air (ozone) pollution related Water-related diseases Food borne diseases Vector-borne dis. rodent-borne dis. Malnutrition REGIONAL WEATHER CHANGES: - heatwaves - extreme events - temperature - precipitation CLIMATE CHANGE Indirect mechanisms Floods Droughts Crop production Socio economic decline Adaptation measures

Deaths Attributable to Climate Change in Year 2000 Estimated annual deaths due to climate change from: malnutrition (~80K), diarrhoea (~50K), malaria (~20K), flooding (~3K) 14 WHO statistical regions are, here, scaled by estimated annual mortality (in 2000) due to change in climate since ~1970. Selected causes of death. (Patz, Gibbs et al, 2007: based on McMichael, Campbell-Lendrum, et al, 2004)

Inability to work due to thermal stress Global warming of more than 6°C (11°F) eliminates the ability to work in the hottest months in many areas, (Dunne et al 2012)

Many millions more people are projected to be flooded every year due to sea-level rise by the 2080s Those densely-populated and low-lying areas where adaptive capacity is relatively low, and which already face other challenges such as tropical storms or local coastal subsidence, are especially at risk. Increases in sea surface temperature of about 1-3°C are projected to result in more frequent coral bleaching events; Coastal wetlands including salt marshes and mangroves are projected to be negatively affected by sea-level rise. Many millions more people are projected to be flooded every year due to sea-level rise by the 2080s. The numbers affected will be largest in the mega-deltas of Asia and Africa while small islands are especially vulnerable. Source: IPCC Wg II, TSI 2007.

Is Flying the new Smoking? https://oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/is-flying-the-new-smoking-if-so-should-aid-workers-stop-flying/ 

Barriers to policy change Vested interests Organised denialism Political short-termism Divided public opinion Perception that change is expensive and difficult

Our response? Political Practical Novel Digital technology: The efficacy, appropriateness and value of traditional face-to-face teaching methods ensures it has remained the most popular delivery method for formal learning in the health sector. Despite this, as the reliance placed on, and potential opportunities from, technology grow and the need to identify innovative and appropriate ways of addressing the climate crisis increases, THET proposes a digital technology stream. In line with our endorsement and support of the Principles for Digital Development, this stream will encourage HPs to incorporate ‘blended-learning’ within their training and digital technologies to support project activities. e-Integrity (e-LfH) is one such programme that partners with the NHS and professional medical bodies via e-learning to train the UK health workforce. e-LfH has also worked in LIC/LMICs to ensure further training and resources are available to health workers once face-to-face training has completed. We have an agreement with e-LfH who will facilitate access to their resources within the SHPSHS programme. This will result in increased training capacity, increased number of trainees, and reduced strain on NHS volunteers and the environment. In encouraging this approach, we believe NHS volunteers will be able to rethink where and how they deliver training and enable more LIC/LMIC health workers to access training and development, ultimately strengthening the training and ongoing support. Within this stream, THET also proposes to signpost HPs to organisations using technologies for distance involvement. One such programme, Virtual Doctors, allows health workers in LIC/LMICs to access the expertise from their UK counterparts via an online platform pre-downloaded onto mobile handsets. Larger HPs will be encouraged to incorporate these approaches, but a stand-alone grants stream will provide lessons and evidence.

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