Joji Sugawara, Vice President of Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), presented at Workshop 10″ Practical ways to use Planetary Health,” co-hosted by Nagasaki University and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at the Joint Congress on Global Health 2023 held from November 24th to 26th, 2023. This event, combining the 64th Japanese Society of Tropical Medicine, the 38th Japanese Society for Global Health, the 27th Japanese Society of Travel Medicine, and the 8th International Clinical Medicine Academic Meeting, focused on the theme “Into the Sea of Global Health – Seeking the Richness of Inclusive Diversity.”

The workshop was part of the preparations for the 8th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR2024) to be held in Nagasaki in 2024. It aimed to deepen understanding of planetary health, an interdisciplinary field and social movement analyzing and addressing the impacts of human activities on Earth’s natural systems and their effects on human health and life. The workshop explored the effects of demographic and economic activities since the 20th century on ecosystems and human health, sharing perspectives on how planetary health can be understood and utilized in global health.

Sugawara presented on “Universal Health Coverage and Planetary Health,” focusing on the increasing importance of strengthening health systems as international goals shift from Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He shared an overview of the trade-offs and co-benefits between goals, emphasizing the foundation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in this context. He also highlighted the need for evolution in response to worsening global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution. He concluded by introducing initiatives like the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) and Global Green and Healthy Hospitals (GGHH).

Practical ways to use Planetary Health

■Chairs:

Kota Yoshioka (Interfaculty Initiative in Planetary Health, Nagasaki University)
Maki Ozawa (Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA))

■Speakers:

Is Planetary Health perspectives needed for Global Health?

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

Universal Health Coverage and Planetary Health

Joji Sugawara (Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI))

Healthy diet to connect people with the planet

Marika Nomura (JICA/Nagasaki University Graduate School of Global Health/National Institute of Health and Nutrition)

Carbon pricing and planetary health

Sunhee Suk (Nagasaki University)