Gerardo Sanchez Martinez, Technical Officer of WHO Regional Office for Europe delivers a presentation at the CleanMed Europe 2016 on environmentally sustainable health systems in the European region.

1. Towards Environmentally
Sustainable Health Systems in
the European Region
Gerardo Sanchez
WHO Regional Office for Europe
CleanMed Europe, Copenhagen, October 2016

2. Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Wellbeing
WHO Regional Office for Europe
From the perspective of WHO EURO:
1. Why do we care about it?
2. What is our mandate?
3. What have we done so far?
4. Where are we going from here?
Key questions on the environmental
sustainability of health systems (ESHS)

3. Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Wellbeing
WHO Regional Office for Europe
• Health systems are major consumers of
energy and resources, producers of
emissions and waste streams
• Environmental sustainability actions can
provide multiple opportunities and
benefits:
 for patients,
 providers and the health workforce,
 health systems’ core functions,
 decreasing environmental health
risks, EBD
Why care about ESHS?

4. Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Wellbeing
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Globally:
• SDGs
• World Health Assembly resolutions
European Region (53 MS):
• Health2020, Tallinn Charter
• Parma declaration
• EU regulations (part of EURO)
Our mandate (why are we working on this? )
Chemicals
mgmt.
Waste mgmt.
WASH
Mercury -
Minamata
SAICM in HS

5. Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Wellbeing
WHO Regional Office for Europe
• Compile and evaluate evidence
• Create partnerships
• Strategic approach toward ESHS
• Mainstreaming ESHS into policy
process
What have we done so far?

6. Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Wellbeing
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Environmental impacts
• Greenhouse gas emissions, largely
embedded
• Water use and wastewater generation
• Waste production (general and
hazardous)
• Chemicals and others
Opportunities from ESHS
• Reduced environmental burden of
disease
• Financial savings, efficiency gains
• Increased physical activity effects on
NCDs
• HS Resilience, reduced need for
travel, others
The evidence on ESHS
Continuous evidence
compilation
Case
studies
Governmental
reports
Scientific
literature

7. Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Wellbeing
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Partnerships

8. Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Wellbeing
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Experts
Meetings, knowledge exchange
Member states
Stakeholders

9. Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Wellbeing
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Vision:
“… improve, maintain or
restore health, while
minimizing negative
impacts on the
environment and
leveraging opportunities to
restore and improve the
environment to the benefit
of the health and well-
being of current and future
generations”
A strategic approach towards ESHS
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
A
B
C

10. Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Wellbeing
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Just finished – stakeholder consultation
… which areas of action do you consider the most relevant?
Yes
97%
No Answer
3%
Do you support the adoption of the vision
statement put forth in the document?
• Diversity of member states: “non-green” economies, federal vs national structures
• Emphasis on healthcare workforce education
Promoting inter-
sectorial action
20%
Innovative models
of care
3%
Increasing
community
resilience
6%
Engaging health
workforce
7%
Strengthening PHS
7%
Creating incentives
for change
7%
Sustainable
procurement
5%
Promoting access /
mgmt. resources
6%
Managing waste and
chemicals
20%
Reducing emissions
and increase
resilence
19%

11. Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Wellbeing
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Expert,
stakeholders,
MS meetings
EHTF
meetings,
other policy
channels
European
Environment
and Health
Ministerial
Conference
(summer
2017)
Mainstreaming ESHS into policy processes
SDG agenda implementation
WHO EURO support
• Evidence, best practice
• Technical “Know-how”
• Policy promotion, advocacy
• Facilitator, convener

12. Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Wellbeing
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Thanks
Write to us at:
euroclimate@who.int
Visit us at:
http://www.euro.who.int/climatechange