Enhancing the sustainability and climate resiliency of health care facilities: a comparison of initiatives and toolkits
Abstract
Extreme weather events have revealed the vulnerability of health care facilities and the
extent of devastation to the community when they fail. With climate change anticipated
to increase extreme weather and its impacts worldwide—severe droughts, floods, heat
waves, and related vector-borne diseases—health care officials need to understand and
address the vulnerabilities of their health care systems and take action to improve resiliency
in ways that also meet sustainability goals. Generally, the health sector is among a
country’s largest consumers of energy and a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Now it has the opportunity lead climate mitigation, while reducing energy, water,
and other costs.
This Special Report summarizes several initiatives and compares three toolkits for
implementing sustainability and resiliency measures for health care facilities: the
Canadian Health Care Facility Climate Change Resiliency Toolkit, the U.S. Sustainable
and Climate Resilient Health Care Facilities Toolkit, and the PAHO SMART Hospitals
Toolkit of the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization. These
tools and the lessons learned can provide a critical starting point for any health system in
the Americas. Los sucesos climáticos extremos han puesto de manifiesto la vulnerabilidad de las
instalaciones de atención sanitaria y el grado de devastación infligido a la comunidad
cuando estas fallan. Ante un cambio climático que preanuncia un aumento de los
sucesos climáticos extremos y sus respectivos impactos en todo el mundo (sequías,
inundaciones y olas de calor intensas, así como enfermedades relacionadas transmitidas
por vectores) los profesionales sanitarios deben comprender y hacer frente a
las vulnerabilidades de sus sistemas de atención de salud, y emprender acciones que
apunten a mejorar su resistencia de manera sostenible. Por lo general, el sector salud
es uno de los mayores consumidores de energía de un país y una fuente significativa
de emisión de gases de efecto invernadero. En la actualidad tiene la oportunidad de
liderar las acciones de mitigación frente al cambio climático, y a la vez de reducir los
costos de energía y agua, entre otros.
En este informe especial se resumen varias iniciativas y se comparan tres recursos
dirigidos a implementar medidas de sostenibilidad y resistencia para instalaciones de
atención sanitaria: la Herramienta de Resistencia ante el Cambio Climático para
Instalaciones de Atención Sanitaria (Canadá), la Herramienta de Resistencia ante el
Cambio Climático para Instalaciones de Atención Sanitaria (Estados Unidos) y la
Herramienta Hospitales Inteligentes de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud/
Organización Mundial de la Salud. Estas herramientas y las lecciones aprendidas a
través de ellas proporcionan un punto de partida crucial para todos los sistemas de
salud de la Región de las Américas.
Translated title
Mejora de la sostenibilidad y la resistencia de las instalaciones de atención sanitaria ante el cambio climático: iniciativas y recursos
Subject
Citation
Balbus J, Berry P, Brettle M, Jagnarine S, Soares A, Ugarte C, et al. Enhancing the sustainability and climate resiliency of health care facilities: a comparison of initiatives and toolkits. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2016;40(3):174–80
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