Vassiliou Welcomes Health Community's "Prescription" on Climate Change

Brussels — Two leading European health organisations handed a giant "Prescription for a Healthy Planet" (1) to European Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou today. The health community is asking the EU to provide a better “treatment” for the ailing climate negotiations. (2)

The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) has launched the campaign to increase focus on the effects on human health and to bring the voice of the health sector in the crucial weeks leading up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen, 7-18 December 2009.

The organisations are joined by the UK Climate and Health Council whose high level pledge on climate change and health has already been signed by many thousands of doctors and health professionals.

At the reception, European Commissioner for Health, Androulla Vassiliou said: "Climate change is a major issue for all EU policy areas, and it is clear that its impact on human, animal and plant health will be of massive importance tocitizens in years to come.

"Each organisation and every citizen can also contribute substantially to reducing their own climate footprint. The 'Prescription for a Healthy Planet' is one such initiative and I welcome the high level of concern from health and medical professionals for the future of our planet."

Health groups urged Ms Vassiliou to present the health arguments to representatives of the EU delegation to Copenhagen and to other EU commissioners, including Stavros Dimas, the Environment Commissioner as the EU sets to finalize its negotiating position.

"The arguments about the health impact should be used right now to help achieve a 40% target on carbon reductions compared to 1990 emission levels by 2020 and to counterbalance the debate on how much climate will cost us," said Génon Jensen, Executive Director of HEAL. "Higher targets on carbon emission reductions mean better air quality, less ill health, greater public health protection and healthcare savings."

Savings on health costs that can be achieved from a higher target on carbon emission reductions are estimated at up to 25 billion Euros per year from 2020 onwards. (3) These result from avoiding the costs of premature deaths, hospital admissions, days lost to ill health and extra medications that would be associated with higher levels of air pollution if strong action is not taken.

The Prescription campaign is driven by growing concern within the health and medical sector about the health impact of climate change, and how they can be more involved in crucial climate talks.

"It is disappointing that none of the climate change funding is explicitly directed at health. Experts consider global warming to be potentially the biggest health threat in the 21st century (4) yet the health arguments are not taken on board and acted upon,” said Anja Leetz, Executive Director, Health Care Without Harm Europe.

Ms Leetz added: "We are recommending that by 2020 the EU contribute at least 35 billion Euros per year to fund global action on climate change. A proportion of this should be allocated to the health sector."

Some hospitals are already engaged in installing solar panels and encouraging staff to walk or cycle to work rather than travelling in private cars. (5)

The European launch of the Prescription for a Healthy Planet sets the scene for the next stage in the campaign. A new website and publicity campaign is expected to draw support from dozens of major health and medical organisations and thousands of healthcare and public health individuals all over the world. They will be invited to endorse and send the Prescription to their own governments highlighting policy responses to climate change that would protect the health of our communities. At the UNFCCC pre-Copenhagen meeting in Barcelona in November a Global Network on Health and Climate Change will launched, joining the European efforts to those of other regions to prepare for actions and policy responses beyond Copenhagen.

For further information please contact:

• Diana Smith
  Communications, Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)
  Website: www.env-health.org
  Tel: +33 1 55 25 25 84
• Génon K. Jensen
  Executive Director, Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)
  Website: www.env-health.org
  Tel: +33 1 55 25 25 84
• Anja Leetz
  Executive Director, Health Care Without Harm Europe (HCWH Europe)
  Rue de la Pépinière 1
  B-1000 Brussels
  Website: http://www.noharm.org/europe

Notes to journalists

• The Prescription provides a simple set of policy recommendations for EU and global negotiators. It argues that health professionals have the moral authority to help push for a 40% target on carbon emission reductions. Specifically, it calls on European leaders to: Protect public health, Shift to clean energy, Reduce emissions, and Finance global action.
• The reception is hosted by Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and Healthcare Without Harm Europe (HCWHE) at the start of HEAL's Annual General Meeting at 12.00 on Tuesday, 6 October 2009 at 28 Bld. Charlemagne (opposite the Berlaymont building) followed by buffet, organic lunch.
• The Commission's own research shows substantial public health savings from its announced 20% target on carbon emissions. NGO research, based on the Commission's findings, shows that the health costs avoided by increasing the target from 20% to 30% would increase the benefits by 48% (from up to 52 billion Euros to 76 billion Euros per year from 2020 onwards). See "The co-benefit to health of a strong EU climate change policy" published by HEAL, WWF and Climate Action Network Europe in December 2008 here. A target of 40% would push the total savings even higher.
• Lancet Commission Report, 13 May 2009
• Healthy Hospitals, Healthy Planet, Healthy People: Addressing climate change in health care settings, World Health Organization and Health Care Without Harm is available here.

Health Care Without Harm is an international coalition of more than 500 organizations in 53 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. Visit the HCWH website for more information.


Press Room | HCWH News | Environmental Health | Reports | Top