News & Events

As part of its newly-launched “The Future of Health” conversation series, the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine-William H. Quasha Memorial, through its new Planetary and Global Health Program, will be holding the third episode entitled “The Future of Planetary Health” on April 7, 2021, 4:00-5:30 pm Manila time.

This episode, which is held in commemoration of World Health Day and Earth Month, is co-presented by Health Care Without Harm, Southeast Asia Alliance for Health and Climate, and PH Lab.

As a zoonosis – a virus jumping from animals to humans, the COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the inextricable link between our health and that of the planet. The unfortunate news is that even when COVID-19 appeared at our doorstep, the long-term crisis of climate change continues, presenting new threats to human health worldwide.

The global ecological destruction that is driven by human activities must be averted if we are to prevent future pandemics and protect people from other diseases. Nonetheless, the disruptions created by COVID-19 also present new opportunities for redesigning our economies and societies to become greener and more sustainable for the advancement of planetary health.

This new series, which adopts an innovative conversation format, convenes health leaders from the Philippines and abroad to not only examine the current health situation but also envision the future of health in the post-coronavirus era, with the hope of advancing health policy discourse in the Philippines and globally through a futures-oriented discussion.

For this third webinar, leaders from health and other sectors will share their diagnosis as well as their prognosis of issues around human health and the environment in the country and across the world. Panelists include:

• Rachel Herrera, Commissioner, Climate Change Commission, Philippines;
• Ramon San Pascual, Executive Director, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia;
• Musonda Mumba, Director, Rome Centre for Sustainable Development, United Nations Development Programme;
• Sabine Gabrysch, Professor for Climate Change and Health, Institute of Public Health, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Head of Research (Climate Resilience), Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;
• Ming-Nan Lin, Vice Superintendent, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Taiwan, and;
• Ruth Batani, Professor of Social Science, Benguet State University and Director, Cordillera Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Research and Development.

The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Renzo Guinto, Associate Professor of the Practice of Global Public Health and Inaugural Director of the Planetary and Global Health Program of the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine-William H. Quasha Memorial.

The event is open to the public. Register at http://bit.ly/stlukesplanetaryhealth.

The webinar series is also co-presented by other organizations including: Department of Health; Rappler; Harvard Club of the Philippines; Zuellig Family Foundation; University of Asia & the Pacific School of Law and Governance; Development Academy of the Philippines Graduate School of Public and Development Management; Management Association of the Philippines; Philippine Futures Thinking Society; Philippine Society for Public Health Physicians; Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations; Center for Engaged Foresight; Health Justice; Likhaan Center for Women’s Health Inc.; Asian Center for Drug Policy; Civika Asian Development Academy; Healthy Philippines Alliance; and Asian Medical Students Association-Philippines.