ID-5184 Wonca Abstracts supplement L-Z 13-10-23 - Flipbook - Page 37
WONCA 2023 Supplement 2: WONCA 2023 abstracts (L–Z)
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Applying an ecological model to reduce the climate impact
in health-promoting hospitals
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Dr Ming-Nan Lin1,2
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Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, 2International Network of Health Promoting Hospital and Health
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The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in 1986 aimed at promoting human health not treating
diseases only. Five health actions were announced which pointed out that health policies, supportive
environment, collective community action along with personal skills are key factors to reorient the
health services to promote biopsychosocial wellbeing.
The World Health Organization pointed out climate change is an imminent threat to human health.
Climate change will intensify existing health risks with frequent and severe extreme weather events,
poor air and water quality, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. It places enormous pressure
and demand on the healthcare sector. Furthermore, the healthcare sector is a major contributor to
greenhouse gases, accelerating the vicious cycle. Reducing the environmental impact is an important
issue for the healthcare sector.
The International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services (HPH) was established
in 1990 for promoting health from a setting approach. In 2010, the taskforce of HPH and Environment
was established to address the mitigation and adaptation issues of healthcare sectors to tackle
climate change.
Using the ecological model, HPH revised its standards in 2020 at the macro level, putting
environmental health in Standard 5.3 for HPH member hospitals to follow, which listed important
principles to guide the hospitals’ green programs.
At the meso level, the HPH committee in hospitals organises programs for environmental health,
which will develop, enforce and review annual programs to reduce climate impact and build the
climate resilience of the organisation, such as a recycling policy in medical waste segregation,
promoting environmentally friendly diet and so forth.
At the micro level, awareness and practice of personal behaviour and lifestyle change improve
personal skills such as using energy-efficient appliances, taking public transportation, prescribing
fewer MDI inhalers and so forth to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions.
Awareness of the climate change impact on health is important for family physicians working as
frontline healthcare workers.
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