Summary of presentation of information

The meeting began with an introduction of the moderator and panelists. The moderator of the meeting was Gabrielle Casper from IHAN and the panelists were:

• Lynne Madden (Professor in School of Medicine, University of Notredame Australia
• Professor Elaine Congress (international Federation of Social Workers)
• Ambassador Rabab Fatima (Representation of Bangladesh to UN)
• Ms Louise Raedler-Waterhouse (Representation of Tonga Kingdom)
• Professor Lesley Hughes (Macquarie University)
• Associate Professor Celia McMichael (University of Melbourne)
• and other students from some universities in Australia.

The key points of the presentation:

• Climate change and its impacts are accelerating, our physical & biological world is transforming, and our choices/actions will determine the changes that we will see in the world.
• The impacts of climate change on women’s health:
  • Women are more affected by nutritional deficiencies
  • A higher rate of vector borne disease
  • Poorer maternal health outcomes, including higher chances of miscarriages, birth defects, preterm births, maternal depression, and increased suicide rates due to poor water sanitation, extreme weather, natural disasters, air pollutions and other effects of climate change
• Actions that should be taken to minimise the effects of climate change are using clean & renewable energy, reducing plastic use, and it is essential that we accelerate global action for adaption and ensure that people, health system and health care facilities are climate resilient
• The SDGs provide a thorough framework for further action in responding to the effects of climate change in regard to woman globally

What information shared in this meeting is of significance to The Salvation Army and why?

Information about the impacts of climate change such as natural disaster and food & water insecurity because The Salvation Army acts by providing help, services, water & food to the victims. In this meeting, we’re also talking about creating climate resilient healthcare systems that will be useful for the clinics/hospitals created by The Salvation Army.

What is The Salvation Army currently doing to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals addressed in this meeting?

The Salvation Army are providing health services in clinics & hospitals which address the third goal (Good health & wellbeing) and also implementing the newly updated International Positional Statement on Caring for the Environment, committing The Salvation Army to sustainable environmental practices (Goal 13 Climate action).

What opportunities are there for The Salvation Army to create or further develop the work in this area?

It'd be great if the clinic and hospitals built by The Salvation army could apply the strategies for creating the climate resilient healthcare systems and do more campaign/events about environmental care in district-division-territorial-international scale.

Web links for more information

• The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child commits to a new General Comment on Children’s Rights and the Environment with a Special Focus on Climate Change
  https://www.ohchr.org/en/news/2021/06/un-committee-rights-child-commits-new-general-comment-childrens-rights-and-environment?LangID=E&NewsID=27139
• Berry, H.L., Waite, T.D., Dear, K.B.G et al. The case for systems thinking about climate change and mental health. Nature Clim Change 8, 282-290 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0102-4
• Long-term trends in urban NO2 concentrations and associated paediatric asthma incidence: estimates from global datasets
  https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(21)00255-2/fulltext
• Climate change impacts women more than men
  https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43294221
• WHO Operational framework for building climate resilient health systems
  https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/operational-framework-for-building-climate-resilient-health-systems