Planetary Health through the MSF Humanitarian Lens - A Snapshot

Témoignage, or witnessing and speaking out, is a core principle which has been driving MSF efforts since day one of our efforts in 1971. As climate related migration and health implications build, MSF is increasingly required to use our voice to raise awareness, impact policy and motivate climate action. 

The top map from the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative, shown below, highlights countries in darker shades of red that have the highest vulnerability in relation to climate change. The concentration of MSF humanitarian health operations are shown in the second map. Does anything jump out? The reality is that climate hotspots are in fact humanitarian hotspots. The climate crisis is a humanitarian crisis. As Dr Maria Guevara pointed out during a launch webinar of the Lancet Countdown report, vulnerability and responsibility are unequally distributed with regards to climate change. The world's poorest are feeling the greatest effects including mounting drought, famine and vector borne infectious diseases outbreaks e.g. changing patterns of malaria spread, while the highest income populations reap the financial benefits of environmentally malignant industrial activities. Inaction is not an option so what can we do to mitigate against catastrophic climate injustice and human health implications and alter our ways of working to meet new realities head-on?

Lancet Countdown Launch Ireland - Featuring Dr Maria Guevara

Adaptation and mitigation are seen by MSF as being two areas we must address in tandem - much like prevention and treatment in traditional health contexts. Climate mitigation requires us as an organisation and movement to better understand the level of carbon emissions we are currently producing and to work to continually reduce these emissions. Adaptation comes into play as the humanitarian and global health sector simply does not have the luxury of continuing with ‘business as usual.’ Climate adaptation demands we improve our response capacity and build internal capacity to address climate change risks. These alterations and new ways of working require strategic commitment from MSF if we are to truly rise to the challenge. Climate change and planetary health can not be something we retrofit onto our existing system, but rather a whole lens which we must now see humanitarian health through. 

MSF and Planetary Health: An Activity Snapshot 

So, it is clear that MSF realises our responsibility in the planetary health and climate change space but acknowledgement is very different to action. Below we have described some of the key MSF planetary health activities to date. These exist across a spectrum of adaptation and mitigation, and include resources, collaborations and solutions - with many more to come: 

• The MSF Meteorological and Climatic Anticipation (MACA) System: MACA was launched in 2019 to better support MSF operations with weather and climate information in an effort to achieve more timely and effective humanitarian responses. 

• Solar Powered Air Conditioning: One of the largest drivers of fuel consumption within MSF field operations is air conditioning (AC). AC is essential where medical needs call for controlled temperatures in pharmacies, operating theatres and laboratories. The SIU Solar AC Case project aimed to identify and test solar power solutions for cooling within MSF, reducing dependence on diesel powered generators and battery operations.

• Lancet Countdown Collaboration: Each year the Lancet Countdown publishes a report on key health and climate indicators. MSF has been collaborating with the Lancet Countdown to produce a policy brief on specific humanitarian implications of climate change. Read the latest version here.

• MSF Energy Working Group: This group of MSFers is working to systematise awareness of planetary health across the movement in addition to investigating renewable energy solutions that may be a fit for MSF operations in reducing emissions.
  

The clean lines on the map above does not tell the full story of the complexity of climate change impacts on human health and wellbeing. The negative implications of environmental degradation will be felt by all - as we have seen with the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are all connected for better or for worse. Human health is dependent on the wellbeing of the environment and in turn the condition of the environment depends on us as humans. One thing we know for certain is that going forward we must ensure that our essential medical operations cannot undermine the health and wellbeing of patients and communities of the future, again bringing us back to one of the core principles of MSF and the health sector at large - ‘do no harm.’

Sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter to receive updates on how our planetary health efforts are performing and any new insights emerging from this work. This is the first in a series of planetary health blogs that the SIU will be releasing throughout the year, and beyond, if there is anything in particular that you would like to learn more about feel free to reach out on siu@stockholm.msf.org.

While you wait for further insights into the MSF Planetary Health activities and perspectives make sure to take a look at the video below: