Are we part of the problem, or part of the solution? Digital health and the climate crisis

By the Global Digital Health Network

Climate change – or more accurately, the climate and ecological crisis – is the greatest threat to health this century. The digital health community must become climate conscious – if we don’t, digital health will be part of the problem.

All digital technology is environmentally damaging, from mining materials, manufacture, transport, power during usage and ends up as e-Waste. If digital health isn’t conscious of these issues, we will exacerbate the problem – and harm health.

This session will raise awareness of climate crisis as an aspect of digital health, and will cover these three areas:

• Minimize environmental harm of digital health
• Digital health services to mitigate the crisis -Digital health as a tool to reduce the environmental harm of the whole health sector

Moderator:
Peter Benjamin, HealthEnabled

Speakers:
Gabby Samuel, King’s College London
Matt Hulse, World Bank