Ahead of their participation in the biggest annual event on the climate agenda, COP28, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate and Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), are set to showcase their sustainable healthcare projects, aiming to highlight the impact of climate change on three critical pillars that are essential to ensuring the sustainability of healthcare services, which are: the impact of climate change on individuals, the community, and the healthcare system.

This comes in line with DoH and ADPHC’s commitment to highlighting the intersection of climate change and public health, and how a climate crisis is correlated to health issues, directly impacting the health and well-being of populations, today, and for generations to come.

The event will see both entities host a comprehensive 12-day programme focusing on the intersection of healthcare, climate change, and sustainability. Within the programme, DoH and ADPHC will organise a series of activities including panel discussions to ensure that global healthcare entities are future-ready, by tackling a wide array of topics such as the mitigation of economic impacts, forging international alliances, the environmental burden of disease, the mental health, impact of climate change, and the UAE’s National Framework on Climate Change.

Additionally, the programme is set to cover topics such as building green hospitals, reducing the sector’s carbon footprint, and creating climate-resilient healthcare systems, while investigating the impact of climate change on communities, including the rise in natural disasters, air pollution, and vector-borne diseases.

Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) stated: "At the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, we continue working with our partners within the healthcare sector to achieve our sustainability goals and develop our healthcare ecosystem to be capable of adapting to different climate challenges and mitigating their impacts. The rise in global temperatures, extreme weather events, and shifts in ecosystems can exacerbate the spread of infectious diseases, intensify air and water pollution, and compromise the safety of food and water supplies.”

Al Ghaithi added: “Our participation at COP28 reflects our commitment to understanding the impact of climate challenges on healthcare while mitigating and preparing for these complex issues. We aim to provide a platform for experts and partners from the UAE and around the world to exchange ideas and visions supporting crucial concepts like "Green Hospitals" and “Net-Zero healthcare sectors”. Additionally, we intend to shed light on the direct correlation between climate change and urgent health issues that could affect our current and future communities.”

COP28 will see DoH and ADPHC strengthening their ties with entities from the global healthcare ecosystem, with the signing of several strategic agreements with pioneering partners from all over the world.

Notably, earlier this year, DoH introduced the Emirate’s healthcare sustainability goals, which seek to reduce carbon emissions by 20% in 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050. The goals are built around three main pillars, which are: infrastructure, operations, and waste management. Furthermore, ADPHC will be launching the Centre’s first sustainability report, in order to communicate its efforts and achieve the sustainability goals. The report reflects ADPHC’s commitment to transparency and accountability and will be able to measure and assess its environmental, social, and economic performance. This participation marks a significant milestone, as for the first time in the history of COP conferences, the event will see a dedicated day for health, reflecting the UAE’s leadership belief that positions health as a critical component of the sustainability action plan during the conference.

COP28 will serve as a platform for leaders and experts from around the world to discuss and address critical issues related to climate change, taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 30 to December 12, 2023.