Launching a health-climate resilience campaign

Climate action is health action. That’s the message we want to share.

When we take steps to protect ourselves against climate change, we are helping build a healthier world.

There is a lot we can do, but action right now on a few priority areas can help us leap forward. We can offset climate impacts while also delivering far-reaching health benefits. Those areas are:

  • Climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
  • Climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities
  • Surveillance of climate-sensitive disease

For example: investments to make hospital water and sanitation systems resilient to flooding will ensure that medical services are able to function during cyclones and other extreme weather. Those investments will also deliver daily benefits in the form of lower hospital-borne infections and better maternal and newborn health.

Here’s another example: disease surveillance and early warning systems provide information on where and when climate-related diseases might strike. These can help individuals and health care systems prepare for possible outbreaks.

Effective action requires partnerships across health to other sectors: with engineers and public works officials, climate scientists and meteorologists, epidemiologists and planners, and many others. Most importantly, we need champions to drive change.

These resources will help you design and launch an issue-specific campaign.

Start with the Campaign Checklist. It provides a framework for considering key questions and making an implementation plan

Campaign checklist

Download

Then work through the details using the following tools:

Target audiences

Use this worksheet to help you determine who you need and want to influence.

Who can help

Use this worksheet to brainstorm a list of people who can amplify and reinforce your messages.

Tips for social media

Check out this brief guide for tips on posting and suggestions on how to create your own posts.

Occasions calendar

Use this document to find out about events or special days that might be a good time to push out your messages.
Build a longer-term strategy

A holistic advocacy strategy can take an issue-specific campaign to the next level. It provides a structure for sustained action. The Plan a Strategy pages provide tools and resources related to messages, tactics and other considerations for crafting an advocacy strategy.

Understand the science

You don’t have to be an expert in climate science or health to advocate for change. But you do need to understand a few basics about the issue, including its link to climate change. Visit the Learn about the Issues pages to get a run-down on health concerns in the South-East Asia region.

Campaign creatives

The power to make change is at your fingertips, literally!
Download these creatives and use them to launch a campaign.

Climate-resilient WASH

Climate-resilient health care facilities

Surveillance of climate-sensitive disease

Usage requirements

You are welcome to adapt, revise and tailor these materials to suit your specific situation, including translating them to local languages. However, please retain all credits for the images used.

Suggestion: Be familiar with these materials before you start sharing, so you can answer questions about them.

How to use these materials

Post the social media content on your channels. Print out the infographics and put them up in your office. Hang the banners at an event. Upload a digital background for your next video meeting. Share the issue briefs via email and on social media. Be creative - use them in any way you think it will help raise awareness about health-climate resilience.

These creatives all feature the campaign tagline: Climate action is health action.

  • Infographics: these can be printed in a large format (A3) or as a poster (A1). They have basic information, including the links between the health issues and climate, and possible responses. These are suitable for all audiences.
  • Issue briefs: these have more detail, especially about possible responses to the problem. These will be helpful in communicating with government officials, local leaders, health care workers and others with power to make changes.
  • Social media content: These include short video clips and cards that you can post on your channels along with your message. The hashtags can be included in your posts. Digital banners can be used as your cover or profile pictures. These will help raise awareness and build a community of allies.
  • Banners: These can be printed and used at events or even posted in hallways or corridors.