Public Health Foundation of India have signed MoU’s to be engaged as Strategic Partners committed to supporting greater environmental health in India through a series of projects.
This MOU is intended to serve as a framework for the next phase of our ongoing partnership at the program, management, fundraising, and governance levels.
HELP: The Health and Environment Leadership Platform (HELP) has more than 80 institutional members representing almost 8,000 hospitals. It is the India arm of Global Green and Healthy Hospitals, HCWH’s network that boasts nearly 1800 institutional members, representing 71,000 hospitals in 82 countries. GGHH runs a number of programs, including the Health Care Climate Challenge, the UNFCCC Race to Zero health care cohort, and Climate Impact Checkup (see Health Care Climate Action website) , a tool for health care facilities to measure their climate footprint.
Climate and Health Policy:
As a MOHFW Centre for Excellence for Green, Climate Resilient Health Facilities, PHFI has helped the National Centre for Disease Control establish a dialogue with state governments on transitioning Indian health care to climate resilient, low-carbon models of care. HCWH has supported this effort with global analysis and technical expertise. Going forward there is significant opportunity to continue to build this work together and to support the Indian government in its efforts in this area both through NCDC, the MOHFW and other entities, particularly in light of the Indian G20 Presidency’s support for the G20 High Level Principles for Health Care Climate Action. In 2023 and beyond, PHFI and HCWH will work to deepen the strategy and activities intended to move government policy at the state and national levels, with a focus on assessing the carbon footprint of the health care sector and developing action plans to move the sector toward net zero and climate resilience.
International program engagement:
PHFI has collaborated with HCWH and other partners to develop and implement program initiatives globally and in other countries. This has come through co-authoring reports, articles and papers, participating in international fora such as the UNFCCC negotiations, supporting and learning from partners in other countries, and helping shape the direction of the program work. This is a valuable contribution to the global network that we agree should continue.
Institutional strengthening:
The technical expert will also be expected to help build a portfolio in the domain of environmental health and reflect a balance between national needs and the SDG priorities. This will also include work in core public health academic and research capabilities that are essential for delivering high-quality programmes and responding to the health needs of the country. The work will also include developing collaborations with agencies/ organizations/ institutions working in the domain of climate change and health. There will also be a role in supporting select technical activities of the national program on climate change and health.
