Health and Global Policy Institute collaborated on the webinar Lancet Countdown 2023 Japan presentation titled “Climate Change as a Children’s Health Issue: The Latest Lancet Report Sounds the Alarm for Health Commitments” on Thursday, December 14, 2023.

Amidst the visible impacts of climate change worldwide, its scope extends beyond extreme weather events, encroaching upon people’s health and lives. This year, the world observed its highest temperatures in the past 100,000 years, with Japan experiencing record-breaking hot days above 30°C and the most extreme heat days above 35°C. The Lancet Countdown, an international joint research project on climate change and health led by the prestigious medical journal The Lancet, warns that inadequate climate change measures could reverse 50 years of public health progress.

This event accompanies the “Lancet Countdown 2023 Report on Health and Climate Change,” released on November 15, preceding the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on November 30, 2023. It was the first Japan event for the Lancet Countdown 2023.

In the keynote speech, a leading expert in the field of climate change and healthcare spoke about the latest findings and status of the health hazards and public health impacts of climate change in Japan, based on the contents of the latest report, and the panel discussion on the theme of “Impacts on Children’s Health” provided a valuable opportunity to gain insights from various expert perspectives. The panel discussion on the theme of “Impacts on Children’s Health” provided a valuable opportunity to gain knowledge from various experts’ perspectives.

The Lancet Countdown 2023 report also sounds the alarm on the following key findings in Japan, emphasizing the urgency of pursuing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

1. Trends related to heat and health are of particular concern, with the population exposed to high temperatures increasing above the global average
2. The significant increase in urban populations and climatic conditions have increased vulnerability to many infectious diseases, including vector-borne, foodborne, and waterborne infectious diseases
3. Insufficient intake of nutritious plant-based foods contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and undermines health and well-being.
4. Air pollution is affecting the health of local populations, increasing the burden of disease and death that could be avoided by transitioning to clean energy.

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[Event Overview]

• Date & Time: Thursday, December 14, 2023; 10:00-12:20 JST
• Co-Host: Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Nagasaki University
• Supported by: Lancet Countdown
• Cooperation: Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), Green Practice Japan (Midori no Doctors)
• Format: Hybrid
• Venue: Nomura Conference Plaza Nihonbashi (5F Reception Hall b) ＊For press only
• Language: Japanese and English, with simultaneous interpretation
• Participation fee: Free

 

[Program] (Titles omitted, in alphabetical order)

Opening Remarks

Chiho Watanabe (Dean, Interfaculty Initiative in Planetary Health, Nagasaki University)

Part 1: Keynote Speeches
Lancet Countdown 2023 Report on Health and Climate Change

“THE 2023 REPORT OF THE LANCET COUNTDOWN ON HEALTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE
The imperative for a health-centered response in a world facing irreversible harms “

Ollie Jay (Professor of Heat and Health, University of Sydney)

“The Impact of Climate Change on Health in Japan”

Masahiro Hashizume (Professor, Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo)

Part 2: Panel Discussion
“Commitments to Protect Children’s Health as Highlighted in the Latest Lancet Report”

Panelists:
Yukiko Imada (Associate Professor, Institute of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, University of Tokyo)
Takashi Sasaki (Representative Director, Green Practice Japan (Midori no Doctors))
Masahiro Hashizume (Professor, Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo)
Takeo Fujiwara (Professor, International Health Promotion Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University)
Chiho Watanabe (Dean, Interfaculty Initiative in Planetary Health, Nagasaki University)

Moderator:
Joji Sugawara (Vice President, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI))

Closing Remarks

Takeo Fujiwara (Professor, International Health Promotion Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University)