Climate Risk Assessment confirms urgency of addressing systemic risks to health systems
Posted on 13.03.2024
Brussels, 13 March 2024 – Yesterday marked a significant milestone as the European Commission revealed its Climate Resilience Package, following the first-ever ‘’Climate Risk Assessment Report’’ by the European Environment Agency. It is paramount that we address the urgency of building resilient, sustainable healthcare systems holistically within this important strategy.
Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world. Besides impacts on health at the individual level, the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) first-ever climate risk assessment report confirms that climate change causes increasing systemic risks to our health systems. “While climate mitigation measures remain without alternative, the report clearly demonstrates that building resilient, sustainable healthcare systems is key for withstanding further negative climate change impacts on people’s health and wellbeing,” states Oliver Bisazza, CEO of MedTech Europe.
Not only does the EEA acknowledge that health system capacity is key to protecting the most vulnerable. Health infrastructure can also be directly affected by climate change, e.g. by large-scale flooding or high temperatures, and climate change impacts on the overall health system can cascade into many economic sectors. Besides, climate change also comes with increased strains on the availability of and access to medical technologies considering ever more complex global supply chain challenges, fragmented policy frameworks, overall system inefficiencies, workforce shortages, financial constraints, and geopolitical complexities, all of which will only increase the risks to the safety and health of patients.
MedTech Europe is concerned with the EEA and European Commission findings as Europe is not keeping pace with holistically managing such rapidly growing risks. Better governance, structural policies, and climate resilience financing are certainly important. “We also call for a strategic dialogue with the medical technology sector and other healthcare system actors that share the vision of advancing the resilience and sustainability of our healthcare systems holistically to prevent adverse impacts on patient care,” concludes Bisazza.