Pandemics in a Changing Climate

Energy, Resources and Environment Program’s Global Leaders Forum

April 26, 2016

Panelists:
Daniel Barnett, MD, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Priya Basu, Manager, Development Finance, The World Bank
Dennis Carroll, Director, Global Health Security and Development, Bureau for Global Health, USAID
Celeste Connors, Associate Practitioner in Residence, Energy, Resources, and Environment Program
Nikhil da Victoria Lobo, Senior Vice President, Head Global Partnerships Americas, Swiss Re

A practicum team of students in the Energy, Resources and Environment (ERE) program collaborated with global reinsurance giant Swiss Re to examine how climate change is worsening the spread of dangerous diseases and complicating the public health response to contain them. Students presented their research findings to illustrate that disease outbreaks are threats which cannot be solved through conventional approaches alone. Panelists responded to the students' report and shared more details about the economics of managing serious disease outbreaks.

The Johns Hopkins SAIS ERE Practicum, now in its third year, gives students the opportunity to collaborate with private-sector partners over the academic year for a training program that has real impact on global issues. Practicum advisor Celeste Connors announced that the team's full report with key policy recommendations will be released before the G7 summit in Japan, and will be available for policy makers before the G20 summit in China, as it is expected that the issues of climate change and pandemics will be on the agenda for both events.      

Practicum students Rachel Estrada, Andrew Griffith, Colbye Prim, and Jeongsu Sinn with practicum advisor Celeste Connors and members of the panel.

Video available at