Sustainable healthcare systems as key for a bright future of healthcare

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Abdourraouf Yougouda, a sixth-year medical student at the University of Bamenda, northwest region of Cameroon. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Sustainable healthcare is organised medical care that ensures the health needs of the current population are met, without compromising environmental, economic or social resources for future generations. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an environmentally sustainable health care system as ‘as a health system that improves, maintains or restores health, while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and leveraging opportunities to restore and improve it, to the benefit of the health and well-being of current and future generations. 

Healthcare is a significant contributor to climate change and environmental degradation. According to estimates, healthcare is responsible for approximately 4.4% of global net emissions,  this means if the worlds healthcare systems is the fifth-largest emitter on the planet. As result climate change is disrupting the very tools that underpin the industry, namely the production of raw materials and the supply chain, due to adverse and destructive weather conditions that have a direct impact on access to care. Extreme weather systems, high temperatures, extreme cold snaps, floods or the like, the pharmaceutical supply chain demands that shipments arrive at their destination in optimal conditions to avoid delays that could impact on the product. On the other hand, the emissions and carbon footprint caused by drug manufacturing and this very supply chain also have adverse effects on the climate. So, what does the future of sustainability in healthcare hold? Reducing the environmental impact of healthcare has a positive impact on both climate change and human health. Ten avenues for action are proposed that can form the core of a strategy for fostering environmental sustainability in health systems, namely: adopting a national environmental sustainability policy for health systems; minimizing and adequately managing waste and hazardous chemicals; promoting an efficient management of resources;  promoting sustainable procurement; reducing health systems’ emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollution; prioritizing disease prevention, health promotion and public health services; engaging the health workforce as an agent of sustainability; increasing community resilience and promoting local assets; creating incentives for change; promoting innovative models of care

In conclusion, following the COP28, measures are being taken, but are they fast enough? Are they strong enough? Do they have enough impact? Or are concerted efforts towards sustainable healthcare superficial, due to the reluctance of economic, financial and regulatory stakeholders? Is innovation too slow or too fast, limiting this slow sector’s attempts to accelerate climate friendly initiatives?

References:

1)https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2017-2241-41996-57723

2) Karliner J, Slotterback S, Boyd R, Ashby B, Steele K. Health Care’s Climate Footprint. Health Care without Harm and Arup, 2019. Available at Health care climate footprint report | Health Care Without Harm (noharm-uscanada.org

3)https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341893028_Sustainable_Healthcare_Systems

4)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7591295/

5)https://insights.omnia-health.com/management/sustainability-through-innovation-key-future-healthcare

About the author

Abdourraouf Yougouda is a sixth-year medical student at the University of Bamenda, northwest region of Cameroon. His early steps in Medicine was dedicated to promoting sexual and reproductive justice in humanitarian settings throughout Cameroon. In addition, he has contributed to a number of IFMSA projects, including policy document authoring, capacity-building activities for IFMSA New Trainers, and IFMSA manual updates. He recently coordinated the CAMSA National Conference and was chosen as one of the 15 delegates to represent IFMSA at the 68th session of CSW in New York.