ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes the two-pronged approach that integrates the health sector’s resilience with mitigation solutions, together known as the “climate-smart approach.” It explores how the health sector can lead by example, strengthening the adaptive capacity of its health systems, equipping its community with the tools to become climate-resilient, and advocating for health to remain at the centre of all climate action policy. It examines the intricate linkages between climate change, disease pandemics, food security, air pollution, and how they relate to human health, with a focus on gendered health inequities and vulnerable populations. The book scrutinises how environmental sustainability can be pursued in three closely related industries to the health sector: pharmaceuticals, chemicals and plastics.
