USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health

WILLIAM E. JARDELL

Researcher, USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health. Student rapporteur, ‘Health and Human Rights in the Climate Crisis’.

At the start of this conference, Helen Clark framed the urgency of what we are dealing with perfectly, reminding us that each day, each week, each month, each year, it becomes tougher to address climate change and reverse the path that we are currently on. After all that has been said, it is evident that it is not a matter of if we framed climate change as a disease but whether, when, and will the world take notice. Climate change is a clear threat to health and to human rights, and should be framed as such and must be addressed with the same sense of urgency we’ve seen in other crisis.

The key question of ‘who’ is most impacted, and who is responsible has been at the forefront of all our conversations. Who does climate change most impact? Whose health is and will be impacted? Whose rights are and will be impacted? Who is responsible for addressing climate change? Who are the actors that need to be at the table to address the health and well-being of all people especially those who are at most risk? And ultimately who is accountable, who holds governments and corporations to account, and who should be brought to justice for not addressing these issues and their impacts on people’s right to health? Inequalities run rampant when it comes to health, as we continue to see during the COVID-19 pandemic. Marginalised populations who are too often left behind are being pushed further into vulnerable situations that negatively impact their health. We are already in a period of increased air-borne illness; heat-related injuries; water, food and sanitation insecurity, to name a few; and a period of reduced capacity to cope with the many health and rights threats around the world. Now add climate change. Dr. Mofokeng brought forward how we cannot talk about a healthy environment without talking about healthy people. Too often voices have been left out of the conversation and leaders like Noelene Nabulivou have reminded us that the lived realities and knowledge of indigenous communities are what need to be the centre of the path forward. These issues are gendered, they are rights issues, and they are complex. We know already that we can no longer think of human rights and health as just guaranteeing populations access to health services, to care that is of high quality, to information on health risks and technology, to participate in the health continuum, and so on. We must now add a new layer with a focus on populations who are forced to migrate because of climate disasters, and the ability to participate in achieving the highest standard of health as climate change adds significant challenges.

Photo credit: Misbahul Aulia/Unsplash

During Session 6 of the conference, Giulia Gasparri brought to attention the urgent need for information around human rights, climate change and health to be digestible and less technical so that all can and will benefit from this knowledge. All human rights, described to be critical for health by every speaker, are now more difficult to achieve alongside climate threats. However, this presents a clear opportunity for linkage around the current understanding of rights, of health, and current knowledge of climate change and how these three must now become an interlinked framework to improve health and well-being. Challenges may seem overwhelming. But it is evident through the discussions we’ve listened to, that solutions are here too, they are available, and they can make a difference. First of all there is activism. And the use of health and human rights impact assessments as discussed by Fiona Haigh – and as we heard from so many speakers – human rights and legal frameworks, accountability mechanisms and most excitingly the ability of art to create cultural and societal change. Janet Laurence eloquently stated that art has the ability to transform, and to help us imagine how change can happen. In the words of Ronda Clarke, it is now our responsibility to build communities where people think things are possible. All of this has showcased that the ‘who’ is all of us, for all of us, because climate change impacts health for all of humanity. As we move past the incredible conversations that have taken place during the conference, we must all take the next step of not only identifying solutions to addressing and improving health outcomes, but offering support to one another, and to push as hard as we can while the momentum is there, and for the rest of our lives.

In the words of Greta Thunberg, take us from the “blah blah blah” and into the next phase of utilising the knowledge we have and make lasting change that positively impacts the physical and mental health and well-being of all of humanity, not just those who are easiest to reach. Famously, we say over and over again that the world is on fire, but it is human health and well-being that is burning. What will we do about it?