Building Climate-Ready Health Systems for a Massive Region: Dr. Sandro Demaio, Director of the WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health

“Climate change is the biggest health threat of our century, so we need to train clinicians for a future where it will alter disease patterns, the demand on health systems, and how care is delivered,” says Dr. Sandro Demaio, director of the WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health, underscoring the stakes behind the organization’s first regionally-focused climate and health strategy. The five-year plan Dr. Demaio is leading aims to help governments in 38 countries with 2.2 billion people manage rising heat, extreme weather, sea-level change, air pollution and food insecurity by adapting health systems, protecting vulnerable populations, and reducing emissions from the healthcare sector itself. In this timely interview with Raise the Line host Michael Carrese, Dr. Demaio draws on his experiences in emergency medicine, global public health, pandemic response and climate policy to argue for an interconnected approach to strengthening systems and preparing a healthcare workforce to meet the heath impacts of growing environmental challenges. This is a great opportunity to learn how climate change is reshaping medicine, public health and the future of care delivery. 

Mentioned in this episode: WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health

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