The United Nations High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage took place on September 23. On the same day, the United Nations also hosted the 2019 Climate Summit, focused on the tools, vision, and the political will necessary to move forward on ambitious climate action. While the two meetings took place separately, it is essential to embrace the nexus of climate change and health to achieve these collective global goals.
This event brought together experts to consider an additional dimension of these movements: gender. For example, a robust body of knowledge and practice already exists under the Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) framework. This work aims to conserve biodiversity and improve the management of natural resources to benefit local communities, while simultaneously addressing health needs and, in particular, the sexual and reproductive health of these communities. Panelists discussed how the PHE framework has informed their approach to these issues, along with their experience more broadly working at the intersection of health, climate change, and gender.
This event is co-sponsored by the Georgetown University Global Health Initiative (GHI) and Women in Global Health. During the 2019-2020 academic year GHI programming is focusing on the global health implications of climate change.
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Cara Honzak is the senior technical advisor for population, health, and environment at Pathfinder International.
Paul Zeitz is the Senior Policy Advisor at the Foundation for Climate Restoration and Founder of Build A Movement 2020.
Maeve McKean is the executive director of Georgetown's Global Health Initiative.
Jem Porcaro is the lead energy access specialist at Sustainable Energy for All.
Dymphna van der Lans is the chief executive officer of the Clean Cooking Alliance.
Roopa Dhatt, executive director of Women in Global Health, will offer opening remarks and serve as panel moderator. Nicole Schiegg, chair, Women in Global Health in Washington D.C., will provide closing remarks.
Photo courtesy of Roshni Lodhia/The Nature Conservancy.