From health in all policies to health for all policies with a focus on older people - climate, health and equity

Abstract

Abstract Background The climate crisis constitutes the largest threat to public health in the 21st century, from which severe health risks emerge that hit older age groups disproportionately. In addition, the health sector itself contributes to the climate crisis (up to 10% of national carbon emissions) and health inequity. We use the Health for all Policies paradigm and apply it to the links between equity, climate, and health in old-age. The paper develops a conceptual framework for strengthening interdisciplinary approaches toward a climate-resilient future for all age groups. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review for the analysis of the links between health, climate, and equity, by considering a health for all Policies (HfaP) paradigm and highlight results focusing on the living situation of vulnerable subgroups of older people in this presentation. Results The climate crisis with its pending health threats has multiple links with HfaP, and can be applied to an analysis for specific subgroups of older people, vulnerable due to intersectional and overlapping challenges related to their health status, economic situation, gender or race, specific living or family situation. An in-depth understanding of the equity-climate-health nexus helps avoid a low-carbon shift may become that is too narrow in its scope, compounding vulnerable groups's situations. At the interlinkages between health, climate and inequality multiple co-benefits (e. g. inclusive infrastructure for active mobility) can be achieved and trade-offs avoided. Conclusions Policymakers worldwide and in the EU take up the challenge to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the complex interconnection of climate, health and equity has found very little attention, even less so applied to older people. Vulnerable subgroups of older people have limited resources for dealing with the severe impacts of climate change on health, calling for adaptation measures to be planned with an equity lens.