Dear Global Health Friends,
There are precious moments in life that gives energy forward. Meeting Deliang Chen, Professor in Physical Meteorology and a member of the UN’s climate panel and The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences recently, was such a moment. You can take part of the discussion in the article reflecting upon climate and health.
The climate crisis does not acknowledge any borders. It is a truly global challenge. Although the greenhouse gas emissions were reduced during the past year of pandemics, prevailing data reveals that a major part of this reduction is already wiped out.
The strong need to follow the 2030 Agenda is here mandatory, in particular SDG 16 and 17, involving governance, trust in institutions and building on existing strong and long-lasting partnerships as well as developing new and innovative collaborations. The international community needs, in depth, to convince governments to do what is needed to reduce emissions rapidly, thus reaching the critical goal of net zero emissions by 2050. All to gain positive impact for human health.
I also want you to celebrate with us, that we now have eleven researchers in the SIGHT Fellows Programme 2021-2023. It will make a difference. Highly talented people deeply rooted in science will be strengthened in their capacity to collaborate. Interdisciplinary is something that is urgently needed in finding solutions – not at least for tackling climate crisis, biodiversity, and environment threats.
And please notice the upcoming student event ”Global Health Night” on November 25th when also the annual SIGHT Awardee is celebrated. This year´s event is in collaboration with the Students for Sustainability at the Royal University of Technology, KTH, in Stockholm with the theme: “Technology: a force for good in planetary health”.
With the wonderful news of this year´s Nobel Prize in physics awarding climate science, together with the strong IPCC report, the public awareness and understanding have taken additional leaps forward.
Now it is up to governments and heads of states to produce action and results to ensure health and well-being for all, today and for the future.
/Peter
