Welcome to the Climate Change and Global Child Health WG page. The following content awaits you:

Our position paper: this is how we act!
  • Climate change and global child health: introduction to the topic.
  • The role of the GTP: How we see ourselves
  • Our 3 fields of action: The GTP as an advocate, Content for members and individuals, Content for work in the medical environment.
  • Background information: Literature collection
  • Calendar of events on the topic
  • Get involved: Our contact details

Climate change and global child health

The formulated goal of the GTP is to improve global child health. A prerequisite for this is a clear understanding and analysis of the multiple causes that threaten children’s health globally, in order to be able to address them effectively. In addition to inadequate preventive and curative health care at the national level, global contexts of various kinds determine access to and maintenance of health in the broadest sense. One of these is climate change.

Climate change, which is already manifesting itself in some parts of the world as a climate crisis or climate catastrophe, has a direct influence on access to and preservation of health (Castello A, Lancet 2009).

Climate change results in, among other things, more frequent and severe heat waves (Robinson 2013), floods, droughts, crop loss, decline in local productivity (exemplified by http://www.fao.org/climate-change), water shortages, air pollution, fires, and with resulting wars and displacement.

The consequences for health and life are well known and manifold: malnutrition and its directly resulting diseases as well as increased vulnerability regarding further pathologies due to a weakened immune system, negative effects of diverse environmental toxins, spreading of zoonotic infectious diseases by spreading vectors, migration and flight, with the consequence of missing structure of an adequate health facility and also destroyed school structures for the growing population. Mental disorders resulting from all these circumstances are still an extremely neglected component.

Earlier prognoses of a change of the climate with corresponding consequences must be adapted more and more and draw dramatic scenarios for the near coming decades. There is consensus among climate researchers that an accelerating rise in sea level is measurable, as is a rapid increase in uninhabitable territory on the continents.

All people are affected, but especially the vulnerable groups, including children in the countries of the global south. Here, increasing numbers of (fatal) victims are to be expected, far exceeding current levels. We see the beginnings of this development, for example, in East Africa (https://kenya.savethechildren.net/news/climate-change-wajir-risks-mother-and-child-survival), Australia, or in the Near East. This raises far-reaching questions about (1) how these developments can be averted (mitigation), and (2) how the consequences for people can be mitigated (adaptation).

The role of the GTP

The GTP can play an important role as an advocate for affected populations and provide early information on climate change impacts through its international networking. It can serve as a multiplier of the voices and concerns of its international partners. The GTP should be seen as an advisor to government agencies and policymakers that take up development cooperation issues, define projects, and fund their implementation.

The GTP can pool and actively disseminate existing information resources from other relevant organizations and integrate them into its own projects. A close cooperation with organizations dealing with prevention, research and political engagement in relation to climate change is to be strived for.

In addition, the GTP feels obliged to design or redesign its internal processes and projects in a climate-responsible manner and to communicate this transparently to the outside world in order to set a good example.


“We, the working group Climate Change and Global Child Health, want to hold the GTP and its members and interested parties accountable and motivate them to act in a climate-sensitive manner on a daily basis and have therefore formulated the following goals”:


The GTP as advocate

In a position paper, we would like to highlight the problematic impacts of climate change on global child health in order to give a voice to the vulnerable group of children and their families and represent them before decision makers.

Position paper: this is how we act!

We aim to be another disseminator of long known facts about the impact of climate change on global child health and also to provide emerging information. To this end, we refer to the relevant literature on the topic and are in exchange with organizations that are scientifically based on the topic of “climate change and health” as a mainstream activity.

German Alliance Climate Change and Health (KLUG) e.V.
Homepage

Health for Future
Homepage, Position paper

For our members and interested parties as private individuals

On this page we refer to established organizations and their information and recommendations on how everyone can individually contribute to positively influencing climate change.

Planetary Health Academy
Initiated by KLUG e.V., the Planetary Health Academy offers free online seminar series on “Planetary Health”.
Homepage

Sustainable travelling: Recommendations of the German Society for Tropical Medicine (DTG e.V.)
Link

The plastic atlas
Thoroughly researched publication by the Heinrich Böll Foundation on the creation, use and disposal of plastic and the associated problems for the environment.
Website and download

Videos and podcasts of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Website

For work in the medical environment

Here, too, we refer to established organizations and their information, educational offers and recommendations for action for the climate-neutral design of practices, hospitals, etc.

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Sustainable travel:
Recommendations of the German Society for Tropical Medicine (DTG e.V.) including information poster for patients
Link

Climate Change and Health
The American NGO “My Green Doctor” offers a lot of information about the impact of climate change on health as well as advice and action guidelines.
Link

Wie wird mein Arbeitsplatz klimafreundlich?
The American NGO “My Green Doctor” offers many practical recommendations for action to transform the workplace as well as working practices, including certified courses.
Link

Sustainable vaccination
Recommendations for action by the DTG for climate-sensitive use of resources in vaccination.

Background information

Helldén D et al. “Climate change and child health: a scoping review and an expanded conceptual framework”. Lancet Planet Health 2021. 5: e164–75. Free full text

Castello A, et al. “Managing the health effects of climate change”. The Lancet Commissions. Volume 373, ISSUE 9676, P1693-1733, May 16, 2009. Free full text.

Planetary Health – Klima, Umwelt und Gesundheit im Anthropozän
C. Traidl-Hoffmann, C. Schulz, M. Hermann, B. Simon; MWV Medizinisch Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft; 2021; 1. Auflage; ISBN 978-3-95466-650-8

Calendar of events

We publish upcoming events on the topic here. We make no claim to completeness.

On site:

Calendar of events of the Climate Change and Health Alliance (events partly online partly in presence)
Webseite

Hybrid

Calendar of events of the Climate Change and Health Alliance (events partly online partly in presence)
Website

Online

Calendar of events of the Climate Change and Health Alliance (events partly online partly in presence)
Website

Contact details

We are looking forward to further comrades-in-arms, suggestions, ideas, inquiries and comments at climatechange(a)globalchildhealth.de

You can also use this email to sign up for the email distribution list for events or publications relevant to the topic.


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