Climate Health System Alliance: Exploring practical solutions in a changing climate

Climate change is often viewed as an environmental issue, but its impacts are increasingly being felt across the health-care system.

From wildfire smoke and extreme heat to flooding, infectious disease outbreaks and supply chain disruptions, climate-related events are affecting both population health and the ability of health-care systems to respond. At the same time, health care is responsible for more than five per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, creating a dual challenge for health leaders and policymakers. 

To help address that challenge, the O'Brien Institute for Public Health at the Cumming School of Medicine is launching the Climate Health System Alliance, a new initiative focused on supporting the transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient health-care systems. The Alliance will officially launch June 3 as part of Calgary Climate Week.

"For a long time, climate change was viewed primarily as an environmental issue and health care as a separate issue," says Alliance director Dr. Bhavini Gohel, MD, PGME'13.  "The reality is that health-care systems are increasingly becoming one of the places where climate impacts are most visible."

Those connections extend well beyond hospitals and clinics. Climate-related health impacts are increasingly being seen across communities, including respiratory illnesses linked to wildfire smoke, heat-related illness during extreme weather events and the spread of infectious diseases into new regions. Vulnerable populations, including seniors, children and those with chronic health conditions, are often disproportionately affected. 

As a public health issue, climate change requires collaboration across sectors, says Gohel.

The Alliance was created to help bridge gaps between health-care organizations, researchers, policymakers, industry and communities, with a focus on turning evidence into action. Rather than functioning solely as a research or advocacy initiative, it aims to support practical implementation and health-system transformation. 

Its work will focus on three areas: reducing emissions across health-care systems, strengthening resilience to climate-related disruptions and developing the leadership capacity needed to drive change. Equity and ethics will be embedded throughout the work to ensure solutions benefit all communities. 

Interactive event puts resilience to the test

The launch aligns closely with the goals of Calgary Climate Week, which brings together organizations and community leaders to advance climate solutions across sectors.

"Climate and health are increasingly interconnected, from the impacts of wildfire smoke and extreme heat to pressures on infrastructure, mental health and health-care delivery," says Leor Rotchild, an author and expert in sustainable business, who is the founder of Calgary Climate Week.

"The launch of the Climate Health System Alliance creates an exciting opportunity to position both Calgary and the O'Brien Institute for Public Health as leaders in climate and health innovation and thought leadership."

Rotchild says organizations are increasingly looking for practical conversations focused on implementation, resilience and long-term performance: "People are ready to move beyond discussing the problem and start focusing on solutions that can be implemented, measured and scaled."

The launch event will feature an interactive simulation called High Water, Silent Spread, which explores how overlapping crises such as severe flooding and the emergence of a novel infectious disease could affect health-care systems, infrastructure and public trust. Participants from public health, emergency management, health care, academia and municipal leadership will work through the scenario in real time before joining a broader discussion on health-system resilience. 

Gohel hopes attendees leave with a better understanding of both the challenges and opportunities ahead.

"Climate health is not someone else's problem," she says. "Every sector has a role to play. The opportunity now is to bring people together, move beyond awareness and focus on implementation."

Register for the Climate Health System Alliance launch event on June 3. The event, which is open everyone, but geared towards health care and other climate-related disciplines, takes place from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at Foothills campus.