The Magazine of the Association of Former WHO Staff Members (AFSM)
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AFSM Quarterly News July 2019 QNT 116 The magazine of the Association of Former WHO Staff Members (AFSM) Supporting former staff and helping them to stay in touch and informed ws Agency ws Ne ers ©Cat o: Phot The plight of polar bears, facing destruction of their unique habitat as Arctic sea-ice melts, illustrates the fact that climate change affects the environment of all living creatures on this planet. In this issue we look specifically at the impact on the health and well-being of human populations around the world, and how WHO is addressing the challenges. 1 AFSM Quarterly News July 2019 QNT 116 Cruise on Lake IJsselmeer, Holland. Photo 1, clockwise, Catherine Roch-Hazelden, Josiane Bachmann, Genevieve McCone, Annette Nock, Paul Puget, Anne Yamada, Charles Hager. Photo 2, one of the famous “three sisters’ windmills” near Alkmaar. Photo 3, clockwise Catherine Roch-Hazelden, Wanda Cheng, Ray Cheng, Josiane Bachmann, Bunty Müller, Paul Puget, Anne Yamada. Photo 4, Clogs at Amsterdam Flower Market. Photo 5, Socrates Litsios, Bunty Müller, Wanda Cheng, Monique Bottiglieri, Regina Vernex. Photo 6, a cheese shop in Alkmaar. Photo 7, The harbour in Hoorn. Photos: Bunty Muller 1 2 3 1 4 1 5 6 7 2 AFSM Quarterly News July 2019 QNT 116 CONTENTS EDITORIAL Climate change and health 4 We are publishing two important notices on page 17, one is a AFSM General Assembly, 22 October8 reminder to cast your vote in the SHI elections to choose our Greetings from Nepal 8 representatives on the Global Standing Committee (SHI/GSC) and Breast cancer in the elderly 9 on the Global Oversight Committee (SHI/GOC). The other notice Meeting with the DG 11 concerns those in receipt of a UN Pension – it is Certificate of The WHO Transformation Agenda 11 Entitlement time again. You should have already received your Inaugural WHO Partners Forum 13 World Health Assembly highlights 14 2019 form. Do not forget to sign it and return it to UNJSPF in Walk the Talk 2019 15 New York or Geneva, as quickly as possible, in order to continue Parking at WHO HQ 15 to receive your pension. News from WHO 16 No doubt all of us have tales to tell of how their local weather SHI: important information 17 Pensions: important information 17 patterns have changed over the past few decades. This is Book review: Eric Drummond 18 happening on a global scale and the harmful effects are causing Cruise 2019 19 concern to public health and other services all over the world. The sky for July-September 21 Dr Lindsay Martinez has prepared an overview of climate New AFSM members 21 change, its impact on health, and the role of WHO, with News from around the world 22 comments from Dr Maria Neira, Director of the Department of In Memoriam 25 Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. Readers' Letters 27 UN Inter-Agency Games 2019 29 See page 4. Results of readers' survey 30 The AFSM cruise in Holland was another successful holiday, EDITORIAL BOARD experiencing good weather, excellent organization and great Keith Wynn, Editor-in-Chief and layout, food and service. Read Bunty Muller’s account on page 19. Yves Beigbeder, Sue Block Tyrrell, Laura Ciaffei, David Cohen, Keith Wynn Maria Dweggah, Lindsay Martinez, IMPORTANT CONTACTS Jean-Paul Menu, Dev Ray, Rosemary Villars. AFSM: Office 4141, WHO, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland. Tel.: +41(0) 22 791 3192 or E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] The translation of all articles is Website: http://who.int/formerstaff/en/ The AFSM office is covered on Tuesdays undertaken by the Editorial Board and from 9:30 to 12:00. Alternatively, please leave a message and someone will call you back. Catherine d’Arcangues, Michèle Evans and Anne Yamada. Health Insurance (SHI): Tel.: +41(0) 22 791 18 18; in case of absence please leave a message, someone will call you back, or send an e-mail to: [email protected] The opinions expressed in this Pensions (UNJSPF): Contact by e-mail is no longer possible. Callers between 09.00 newsletter are those of the authors and and 17.00 Monday to Friday except Thursday. At the Geneva office, Du Pont de not necessarily those of the Editorial Nemours Building, Chemin du Pavillon 2, 1218 Grand-Saconnex, at the New York office, 4th floor, 1 Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza (DHP), Corner of 48th Street and 2nd Board. Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Or write via the “Contact us” link on the Fund’s Please send your contributions for website: https://www.unjspf.org Or telephone: Geneva: +41 (0) 22 928 88 00 or New York: +1 212 963 6931 or 1 (833)668-6931 (US toll free). In the case of non- publication in QNT to: Keith Wynn receipt of the monthly benefit or the death of a beneficiary, visit the website: [email protected] https://www.unjspf.org/emergency/ for instructions. Remember to always have your Unique ID number handy when contacting UNJSPF. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Resources for retirement: visit the AFSM website, We very gratefully acknowledge the http://www.who.int/formerstaff/issues/retirement/en/ invaluable support of the Printing, Formalities in case of death of former WHO staff member: visit the AFSM Distribution and Mailing Services. website, http://www.who.int/formerstaff/about/en/ 3 AFSM Quarterly News July 2019 QNT 116 WHO PROGRAMMES: PHE Climate changNOTEe and its impact on health: the role of WHO Climate change has consequences which are experienced in different ways and to differing degrees everywhere on the planet. Global warming may be of some benefit in colder areas, but overall it is proving to be increasingly harmful and destructive. Studies of climate change some 30 years ago focused mainly on climatic conditions and the effects on ecosystems and biodiversity, and it took a few more years for the implications for human health and well-being to become fully recognized. Understanding of the links between climate change and health has greatly increased in recent years. This article considers the health impact worldwide and how WHO is addressing the new challenges that it entails. The changing climate Global warming is driven primarily by fossil fuel combustion. The quantities of greenhouse gases (CO2 and others) thus released are sufficient to trap extra heat in the lower atmosphere. In general, rising temperatures are expected to reduce the duration of extremely cold periods and increase the frequency and length of extremely hot periods. The impact will vary depending on regional characteristics, but it is evident that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and destructive around the globe. Warmer air temperatures cause increased evaporation of water, leading to increased precipitation which may take the form of rain or even snow in different regions, resulting in floods and landslides. In warm dry regions evaporation can lead to drought, desertification, or unstoppable wildfires. Rising sea temperatures are causing expansion of hurricane- prone zones, and tropical cyclones are expected to become more intense and damaging. Melting of glaciers is causing sea levels to rise, leading to coastal erosion and threatening populations in low-lying territories and islands. These trends will have increasingly harmful impacts on health and more broadly on human society, and affect all forms of life on this planet. Extreme weather events have always occurred but now it is estimated that global warming due to human Harvesting crops in Bangladesh. Communities dependent on activity is making them 3 times more likely. In just the small-scale agriculture are hardest hit by crop failures. Young children suffer most from the resulting malnutrition which first quarter of 2019 severe weather events were eimpairxperienceds physical andon menevertaly de convelopmentinentt, and including increases theirin: Aus tralia vulnerability to infection. (highest temperatures, driest January on record, Photo: World Bank Photo Collection / Flickr devastating wildfires in Tasmania); Argentina (record high temperatures with wildfires in Tierra del Fuego, record rainfall and extensive flooding in the north); Chile (exceptional rainfall in the Andes, severe floods and damage); Bolivia, Peru and northern Chile (extreme heatwave and drought, followed by torrential rain with floods, casualties and widespread damage); Canada (extreme cold in large areas, record snowfalls in Ottawa); USA (influx of arctic air in Upper Midwest and Northeast caused severest winter conditions on record); Europe (record snowfalls in the eastern alpine regions of Austria, Germany and Switzerland); Eastern Mediterranean and parts of the Middle East (exceptional cold front caused widespread dust storms); Iran (torrential rainfall in record quantity and duration, with flooding and landslides); Pakistan and NW India (exceptional rain and snow falls caused widespread damage and casualties); Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe (tropical cyclone Idai caused unprecedented 4 AFSM Quarterly News July 2019 QNT 116 devastation, injury and loss of life). The series continues through 2019. COP24 SPECIAL REPORT The consequences for health Climate change is the greatest health challenge of the 21st century, stated WHO in its Special Report for the UN COP24 conference in 2018. Experts predict that climate change will increase the threats to health worldwide, particularly in lower income populations and in tropical and The most direct link between climate change and ill health is air pollution which is subtropical regions. The health impacts caused mainly by burning fossil fuels for power, transport and industry. The are diverse. They include the direct resulting air pollution is a major cause of illness and premature death worldwide. ePhotffectso: WHO of (C seOP24ver Speciale wea report:ther ehealthven ts,and theclimat e change) indirect health consequences of environmental changes, and the multiple health problems experienced by populations displaced by climate-induced disruption. The specific effects on health attributable to climate change include, but are not limited to, the following.