Josep M. Antó, Research Professor and Scientific Director, Barcelona Institute of Global Health (IS Global), at Europe That Protects - Safeguarding Our Planet, Safeguarding Our Health EU side event, 3-4 Dec 2019, THL, Helsinki

1. Europe that Protects: Safeguarding
our Planet, Safeguarding our
Health Conference
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare - Finland’s EU Presidency
Helsinki, Dec 3rd & 4th, 2019
Prof. Josep M. Antó
ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health), IMIM (Hospital del
Mar Research Institute), UPF (Pompeu Fabra University)

2. Disclosure Conflict of Interest
 Scientific Director ISGlobal
 Research Center; University Institute of UB & UPF
 Board of Trustees: Private/Public (”La Caixa” Foundation, Government of
Catalonia, Government of Spain, Barcelona City Council)
 Professor of Medicine
 Pompeu Fabra University, Consorci Parc de Salut Mar (Catalan
Government)
 Current links with Industry: No direct funding; Indirect links in
EU (FP7, H2020, EIT) consortiums

3. Challenge 1: The Climate Crisis
Humanity has never faced a greater challenge
Humanity has
never faced a
greater challenge
—
BAN KI-MOON
UN Secretary-General
(2007–2016)
Climate change
is the greatest threat
to human rights
in the 21st century
—
MARY ROBINSON
UNHCHR (1997–2002)
Biggest threat to
humanity?
Climate change
—
ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
UN Secretary-General
(2017 to now)
“ ““

4. The Anthropocene Is Functionally and
Stratigraphically Distinct from the Holocene
Waters N et al., Science 2016
 75% of the species will be extinguished in
the next few centuries
 Climate warming for CO2 in the atmosphere
at the fastest rate in the last 66 million years
 Microplastic particles are practically
ubiquitous and identifiable for future
generations
 Possibly the biggest impact on the soil
nitrogen cycle in 2,500 million years
 Create a permanent layer of airborne
particles, such as carbon black

5. Challenge 2
Why the biggest threat to humanity is not shaking the Health Systems?
596 Million DALYs
(21.8% of total DALYs in 2012)
—
WHO 2016
Global estimated deaths by major
risk factor and cause
—
Lancet Commission On Pollution and Health
Lancet 2018

6. How can the Health Systems respond to these challenges?
‘Follow the leaders’ series by Isaac Cordal
cementeclipses.com/Works/follow-the-leaders

8. The Concept of Planetary Health
Whitmee S et al., Lancet 2015
 The current concept of health does not take into account
whether health gains are achieved at the cost of eroding the
Earth’s underpinning natural systems
 Planetary health is the achievement of the highest attainable
standard of health, wellbeing, and equity worldwide through
judicious attention to the human systems —political, economic,
and social— that shape Earth’s natural systems limits within
which humanity can flourish
 Put simply, HUMAN HEALTH AND THE HEALTH OF
THE PLANET SHOULD GO TOGETHER

9. Charting a Course for the Future
1
Whitmee S et al., Lancet 2015
 Food production within environmental limits
 Sustainable aquaculture and fisheries
 Healthy low environmental impact diets
 Integrated land use solutions
 Co-benefits to health and environment
 Sound management of chemicals
 Sustainable cities
 Improved access to modern family planning
 Integration of environmental care with health systems

10. The UN Environment has endorsed the
Planetary Health Approach in its GEO6, 2019

11. Health Planet, Healthy People
GEO6 Chair’s Messages
 A healthy planet supports healthy people
 An unhealthy planet leads to unhealthy people
 The drivers and pressures leading to an unhealthy
planet need to be addressed
 Current science justifies policy action now
 Environmental policy is necessary but inadequate
by itself to address systemic ecological problems
 Healthy people, a healthy planet and a healthy
economy can be mutually supportive

12. Relationship between
Planetary Health and Human Health
Gupta et al., 2019

13. A Transformative Agenda for Planetary Health
HUMAN
HEALTH
PLANET
Smoking
Cars
Chemicals
Physical Activity
Finish Allergy Plan
Sustainable Diet
Antibiotics
Health Technology
Hospitals
?
BAD
BAD
GOOD
GOOD

14. Tobacco and Its Environmental Impact
1
WHO 2017
 Farming on a massive scale using
insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, fumigants
and fertilizers
 Deforestation (5% of all; in China 18%)
causing to up to 20% of annual greenhouse
gas increases
 Land degradation and loss of
biodiversity (single or monocrop) leaving
the topsoil poorly protected from wind and
water
 Desertification from tobacco cultivation has
been observed in numerous countries
 One of the most environmentally
destructive agricultural practices in low- and
middle-income countries
Sector’s carbon footprint is comparable
to entire countries, study finds

15. Impact assessment on 182.000 bicing users in
Barcelona (vs. car drivers)
Rojas-Rueda D et al. BMJ 2011

16. A Biodiversity Hypothesis
1
Haahthela T, Allergy 2019

17. The Finnish Allergy Programme
Endorse health, not allergy Endorse the planet
Improve contact
with nature
Contribute to
protect/regenerate nature
Strengthen tolerance Understand & strength the
role of biodiversity
Avoid allergens
only if mandatory
Promote Planet Sustainable
Diet
Recognize and treat severe
allergies early
Reduce planetary impact of
treatments
Improve air quality Promote active mobility
and reduce emissions
Stop smoking Eradicate smoking and its
environmental impacts
Haathela T et al. ERJ 2017

18. Health care emissions account for 7% of the total
carbon footprint in Australia
1
Malik A. et al., Lancet Planet Health 2018
Total and relative CO2 emissions for 13 health-care expenditure categories

19. Sustainable planet is a necessary condition for
health BUT is not sufficient!
Even if it were desirable and
feasible to attain a healthy,
sustainable planet without
addressing socioeconomic issues
and the associated social
determinants of health, it would
still leave humanity far short of
the goal of healthy people (GEO6)

20. 1
Photograph by Isaac Cordal
Courtesy of Splash and Burn / OIC / SOS

21. 1 0 0 3 1 0 2 1 1 1 0 1
7 6 14
34
72
97
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020
2015
Progress in Planetary Health
Planetary Health Alliance — 4th
Annual Meeting 2020
The Lancet Planetary Health Journal
Wellcome Trust, Rockefeller
Foundation,…
Universities: Sydney, LSHTM, UPF,…
UN GEO6: Healthy Planet, Healthy
People

22. Horizon Europe 2021-2017: the future EU
research and innovation programme
Brussels, 20 March 2019

23. NEW Climate Economy Report 2018: Unlocking
the Inclusive Growth Story of the 21st Century

24. Cumulative health co-benefits and
mitigation costs by scenario, 2020–50
Markandya, A. et al., Lancet Planetary Health, March 2018

25. 1
Adopt a Planetary health Approach at the highest
governing level by health authorities, health organizations
and health professional societies
Transform current health and health care policies
and practices to make them planetary regenerative
A Decade to Transform the Health Systems
for the Planetary Emergency
Large effort in adaptation and mitigation strategies
to face current and unpredicted health impacts
Embed the Planetary Health at the core of our research
and education programmes from universities to
society

26. THANK YOU!
https://vimeo.com/240713907