"We urgently need to strengthen the structures of the health care system in order to better cope with climate change"

The coronavirus pandemic, war in Europe, floods, forest fires and heatwaves as a result of climate change, disrupted supply chains, energy shortages: rarely has our country been challenged by so many far-reaching crises at the same time. These and other challenges always affect people's health and their healthcare.

Against this backdrop, the German Advisory Council on Health and Care (SVR)* has analysed the resilience of our healthcare system in more detail. The results are published in the new review "Resilience in the health care system. Ways to overcome future crises", which was presented to Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach today.

"The climate crisis and climate-related disruptive events such as pandemics, heatwaves and floods are increasingly challenging our health care system," says Prof Dr Petra Thürmann, Vice President for Research at Witten/Herdecke University and Chair of Clinical Pharmacology. "Our review shows that we are not sufficiently prepared for this and urgently need to strengthen the structures of the health care system in order to better cope with climate change. Other countries are much further ahead."

Making the healthcare system fit for the future

On the other hand, the health care system itself is a driver of the climate crisis, for example through the use of resource-intensive duplicate examinations or the high consumption of plastic waste. "It is high time to promote climate-neutral, environmentally friendly alternatives. At Witten/Herdecke University, under the umbrella of our new research centre tra:ce, we are currently analysing pharmaceuticals for their environmental compatibility and researching how the climate crisis can be better anchored in medical studies," Thürmann continues.

The principle of health must be considered in all public areas and political decisions ("Health in All Policies"). "If, for example, health aspects such as the number of road deaths or particulate matter pollution had also been taken into account when discussing a speed limit on motorways, the speed limit would probably have been introduced long ago," she is convinced.

In order to show how the healthcare system and the people who work in it can be better prepared for future crises, the Expert Council examines individual areas of care: the public health service, acute care and long-term care. Specific strategies for strengthening supply chains, target group-orientated communication and scientific policy advice are also examined. The improvement of acute crisis management is also taken into consideration. In the final part of the review, these recommendations are applied to the foreseeable challenges facing the healthcare system as a result of heat and other pandemics.

The review will now be forwarded to the Bundestag and Bundesrat. It is available at www.svr-gesundheit.de and is also available in bookshops.

* The Expert Council for the Review of Developments in the Health Care System and in Nursing Care is an independent administrative body providing scientific policy advice on the basis of Section 142 SGB V. Its members in the appointment period 1.2.2019 - 31.1.2023 are Prof Dr med Ferdinand Gerlach, Prof Dr rer. pol Wolfgang Greiner, Prof Dr rer. oec Beate Jochimsen, Prof Dr med Christof von Kalle, Prof Dr phil. Gabriele Meyer, Prof. Dr rer. oec. Jonas Schreyögg, Prof. Dr med. Petra A. Thürmann.