The Health & Environment Alliance and the European Public Heath Alliance organised a conference on “Climate change and the challenges for public health: priorities for EU Action” on 2 October 2007. As one of many effects of climate change is its impact on human health, health professionals and the wider health community have a key role to play in raising people’s consciousness about the health risks of climate change.

The European Commission will be adopting a communication on adaptation to climate change in 2008. It will address important issues for the health and medical communities. This conference aimed to provide a more substantial expert policy and civil society input into this process.

From right to left: Despina Spanou (European Commission), Vessela Karloukovska and Genon Jensen (HEAL secretariat)

Workshop presentations from Despina Spanou, member of the cabinet of Commissioner for Health Markos Kyprianou, Sari Kovats, one the authors of the health chapter in the IPCC report, Bettina Menne of the World Health Organisation, and Jacqueline McGlade of the European Environment Agency helped ensure HEAL’s policy targeted adaptation with a focus on the needs of the most vulnerable.

The conference maximised the use of technology to reduce the carbon footprint of the event, with speakers using video conferencing tools to give their presentations and skype sessions to answer questions from the audience.

An Irish doctor told the meeting that the people worst affected in the heatwave of 2003 were living in city areas where they dare not open their windows for fear of crime.

Stephan Singer, WWF European Policy Office

Several members taking part in the meeting were keen to learn how to become better advocates on climate change and health at the European level. During the second part of the seminar, they learned how hospitals, clinics and other health service institutions might reduce reliance on non-renewable energy sources of energy while benefiting health at the same time. One example was hospital architecture that optimises the use of natural light.

Panel discussion

Please find below the programme, background material and presentations from the conference.
 HEAL on Euronews.