부산대학교 도서관

Climate change inevitably intensifies the scale and frequency of climate-related disasters with severe implications for human health. Health scientists have called climate change the 21st century's most significant threat, but impressing it becomes a magnificent opportunity especially for the healthcare sector. Thus, literature argues the urgent need for adaptation measures at each level to adequately tackle climate change. However, to plan and to implement community-need-based adaptation measures which may alter with changes in climate remain a significant challenge. The global medical community establish local and international initiatives to build healthcare climate resilience and now mentioning 'climate-smart' concept to support hospitals to enhance climate readiness. However, the embracement is slow because of limitations in awareness, capacity and political will as most of the attention are on reducing carbon footprint. Thus, Health Promoting Hospitals (HPH) concept integrate both need assessment problem-solving process and eco-friendly principles may lead the way in advancing climate adaptation implementation in hospital settings. This paper reviews the health impacts of climate change and provide an overview of hospitals, adaptation strategy to mitigate greenhouse gases and ways to strengthen climate readiness. The similarity between HPH approach and climate adaptation, are also discussed. Nevertheless, the implementations of the HPH concept have been slower due to the lack of formal ties with national regulations and efficacy evidence to sustain resources. Further research on potential emissions reductions and co-benefits with HPHs, regarding health results and economic effectiveness, would be valuable to guide the development and implementation of HPH in health sector mitigation and adaptation policies.