The 2024 Planetary Health Summit and 6th Annual Meeting (PHAM) took place on 16-19 April at Sunway University in Malaysia, bringing together over 1000 participants from 63 countries. The first PHAM hosted in an Asian country covered a range of topics relating to planetary health including the health effects of air pollution, the use of AI, planetary health in education, impacts on mental health, food systems, healthcare systems, and indigenous knowledge.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine – Prof Andy Haines, Tamzin Reynolds, and Blanca Anton – were among presenters, highlighting key findings from the report of the Lancet Pathfinder Commission and broader Pathfinder Initiative on the health benefits of climate mitigation actions. Evidence from the Pathfinder Initiative featured in sessions focusing on planetary health research and turning planetary health and earth system science into beneficial action.
Read the Pathfinder evidence review poster
Read the Pathfinder case studies poster
Sharing key takeaways from the conference, Blanca Anton, Research Assistant at LSHTM said, “It’s clear that we need radical change of the way we think about and connect with nature and the planet if we are to make real progress. This will require a whole-of-society approach, policies that draw on the best available evidence, and binding legislations.”
Tamzin Reynolds, Research Assistant at LSHTM said, “Growing evidence highlights the impacts of environmental change on physical and mental health, as well as the major health and societal benefits of solutions to address the crisis. We need to find better, more creative ways to communicate the science and translate evidence into effective policies and actions that drive transformative change.”
For more information about the conference visit www.pham2024.com