A CONVERSATION WITH Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator
INTRODUCED BY Ann Kurth: Dean, Yale School of Nursing
MODERATED BY Laron Nelson: Associate Dean, Global Affairs and Planetary Health Rob Dubrow: Professor of Epidemiology; Faculty Director, Yale Center on Climate Change and Health
Planetary health and human wellbeing are closely linked. Environmental hazards influence a vast majority of communicable and non-communicable diseases worldwide. Climate change has resulted in concerning changes in disease patterns and the spread of pathogens to new geographic regions. Degradation of air, water, and land has led to a significant loss in biodiversity and placed unprecedented pressures on some of the fundamental requirements for human wellbeing and good health: clean air, safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, and sufficient food.
As highlighted in the 2020 Human Development Report, the strain on our planet mirrors the strain facing many of our societies, with inequalities not only reflecting the unequal consequences of a dangerous planetary change but also being a major obstacle to finding solutions. During this conversation, we will explore the nexus of the planet’s and people’s wellbeing and how COVID-19 offers a glimpse of our future.
The YIGH Global Health Conversation Series is a moderated forum for the Yale community and alumni to listen to and learn from some of today’s pivotal decision-makers in the world of global health. Co-sponsored by The George Herbert Walker, Jr. Lecture in International Studies at the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale, the series is also an opportunity to cultivate potential areas of collaboration with leading institutions in global health. |