CHR News Desk | May 21, 2024
Ahead of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) is urging World Health Organization (WHO) member states to adopt a proposed resolution on climate change and health.
The draft resolution highlights climate change as a major threat to global public health and outlines a framework for promoting health and building climate-resilient health systems. The assembly runs from May 27 to June 1.
“Adoption of the Climate Change and Health resolution would show a clear political commitment to prioritising climate action to protect people from the increasing health impacts of climate change,” said Rosie Tasker, Clean Air Liaison at the Global Climate and Health Alliance. “The resolution connects health to climate mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage for the first time.”
Tasker emphasized that the resolution outlines the various ways climate change affects health, including increased food insecurity, air pollution, emerging infectious diseases, and more frequent extreme weather events. It also addresses how climate change affects access to healthcare facilities. A major theme of the WHA negotiations will be the impact of climate change on gender inequities and vulnerable communities.
Jess Beagley, Policy Lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance, noted that health received significant attention during the COP28 climate negotiations. “It’s crucial that the health and climate community maintains and builds on this momentum during the World Health Assembly,” Beagley said. She called for cross-sectoral action, including ending reliance on fossil fuels and investing in resilient health systems.
The proposed resolution calls for integrating climate into health monitoring systems and for governments to participate in the WHO-led Alliance for Action on Climate Change and Health (ATACH). It also promotes intersectoral collaboration and urges WHO to develop a Global Plan of Action (GPoA) on Climate Change and Health.
Governments will be expected to commit to actions such as assessing national vulnerabilities and developing response plans. A key component will be better data collection on the health impacts of climate change. The resolution encourages health ministries to engage in broader climate discussions to curb emissions and maximize health benefits.
The resolution, expected to be adopted by consensus on May 31 or June 1, is proposed by the Netherlands and Peru, with support from countries including Barbados, Chile, Fiji, Kenya, Monaco, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
However, Tasker pointed out that the resolution does not address several critical issues, such as the role of fossil fuels in driving climate change and the need for a just transition to renewable energy. She also noted the lack of specific mention of vulnerable groups like the young, elderly, LGBTQIA individuals, refugees, and migrants.
Following the adoption of the resolution, WHO is expected to develop the GPoA to drive this work, aiming to make its operations climate-neutral by 2030. The GPoA is set to be developed after WHA 77 and adopted at WHA 78 in May 2025.
