Bukola Afeni
A global health organization, Oxford Global Health Society has reteirated it’s commitment to foster collaboration and innovation to tackle global health challenges and promote equity in health care access and outcome around the world.
The body made the dislosure at the Oxford Uni Global Health Society conference with the theme: “Climate Change and Health System Resilience”, to address the impact of climate change on global health and to discuss innovative solutions.
The President of the organization, Dr Francis Ayomoh, said climate change is a threat that has been affecting the health of millions of people worldwide.
“It is terrifying to note that recent estimates by the World Health Organization which suggest that the health impact of climate change will be responsible for an additional 250,000 deaths annually from 2030 to 2050.
“Acknowledging this global health threat, the 2024 World Health Assembly emphasised the importance of resilient primary health care systems and progress towards advancing health climate mitigation and adaptation.”
Ayomoh who is also the DPhil Candidate in Primary Health Care, University of Oxford said the conference is designed to bring together experts from various fields to explore challenges and to discuss innovative solutions in the health care sector.
He further added that rising temperatures, extreme weather events, shifting disease patterns, and food and water insecurity are just a few of the ways in which climate change is posing new and unprecedented challenges to health systems globally.
“Our conference is designed to bring together experts from various fields to explore challenges and to discuss innovative solutions. We will engage in deep discussions and share knowledge that will help us better understand how to prepare for and mitigate the health impacts of climate change”, he said.
The conference has different panel session with the first panel Dwelling on “Climate Change and Emerging Health Threats: Preparing for the Unknown,” .
The session delved into health threats that are emerging as a direct result of climate change and proactively preparing for them.
The second panel, “Policy and Governance for Climate Change: Reducing the Impact of Health Systems on the Environment,” focused on the policies and governance strategies that aid in reducing the environmental impact of health systems, and ensuring that they are resilient and sustainable.”
In her opening remarks, the Executive Director, the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, Dr Marina Romanello, higlighted the Growing Health Impacts of Climate Change.
According to Romanello, increasing heat related mortality is 85%, and also the impact of heat results in Heatstress, kidney injury, and exacerbation of underlying health conditions
While speaking on the perspective area of research that would effectively move the needle to address the global health inequalities , during the panel discussion, Professor Marco Springman, from Environmental Health Institute, University of Oxford reaffirmed the need for a systems approach.
“We need to nose dive into food environment and how they are shaped. It is challenging for vulnerable communities to procure and have sustainable healthy nutrition “.
