Healthcare in the era of climate change and the need for environmental sustainability
Climate change is an existential threat to humanity. While the healthcare sector must manage the health-related consequences of climate change, it is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for up to 4.6% of global emission, aggravating global warming. Within the hospital...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer – Medknow Publications
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Singapore Medical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/singaporemedj.SMJ-2024-035 |
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| _version_ | 1823863797570338816 |
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| author | Nicholas Chin Hock Tee Jo-Anne Yeo Mahesh Choolani Kian Keong Poh Tiing Leong Ang |
| author_facet | Nicholas Chin Hock Tee Jo-Anne Yeo Mahesh Choolani Kian Keong Poh Tiing Leong Ang |
| author_sort | Nicholas Chin Hock Tee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Climate change is an existential threat to humanity. While the healthcare sector must manage the health-related consequences of climate change, it is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for up to 4.6% of global emission, aggravating global warming. Within the hospital environment, the three largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions are the operating theatre, intensive care unit and gastrointestinal endoscopy. Knowledge of the health-related burden of climate change and the potential transformative health benefits of climate action is important to all health professionals, as they play crucial roles in effecting change. This article summarises the available literature on the impact of healthcare on climate change and efforts in mitigation, focusing on the intrinsic differences and similarities across the operating theatre complex, intensive care unit and gastrointestinal endoscopy unit. It also discusses strategies to reduce carbon footprint. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d60f0ddcfbd348ac9b4dd0f962718883 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0037-5675 2737-5935 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer – Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Singapore Medical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-d60f0ddcfbd348ac9b4dd0f9627188832025-02-09T10:21:45ZengWolters Kluwer – Medknow PublicationsSingapore Medical Journal0037-56752737-59352024-04-0165420421010.4103/singaporemedj.SMJ-2024-035Healthcare in the era of climate change and the need for environmental sustainabilityNicholas Chin Hock TeeJo-Anne YeoMahesh ChoolaniKian Keong PohTiing Leong AngClimate change is an existential threat to humanity. While the healthcare sector must manage the health-related consequences of climate change, it is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for up to 4.6% of global emission, aggravating global warming. Within the hospital environment, the three largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions are the operating theatre, intensive care unit and gastrointestinal endoscopy. Knowledge of the health-related burden of climate change and the potential transformative health benefits of climate action is important to all health professionals, as they play crucial roles in effecting change. This article summarises the available literature on the impact of healthcare on climate change and efforts in mitigation, focusing on the intrinsic differences and similarities across the operating theatre complex, intensive care unit and gastrointestinal endoscopy unit. It also discusses strategies to reduce carbon footprint.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/singaporemedj.SMJ-2024-035anaesthesiaclimate changegastrointestinal endoscopyhealthcaresustainability |
| spellingShingle | Nicholas Chin Hock Tee Jo-Anne Yeo Mahesh Choolani Kian Keong Poh Tiing Leong Ang Healthcare in the era of climate change and the need for environmental sustainability Singapore Medical Journal anaesthesia climate change gastrointestinal endoscopy healthcare sustainability |
| title | Healthcare in the era of climate change and the need for environmental sustainability |
| title_full | Healthcare in the era of climate change and the need for environmental sustainability |
| title_fullStr | Healthcare in the era of climate change and the need for environmental sustainability |
| title_full_unstemmed | Healthcare in the era of climate change and the need for environmental sustainability |
| title_short | Healthcare in the era of climate change and the need for environmental sustainability |
| title_sort | healthcare in the era of climate change and the need for environmental sustainability |
| topic | anaesthesia climate change gastrointestinal endoscopy healthcare sustainability |
| url | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/singaporemedj.SMJ-2024-035 |
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