CHR News Desk | New Delhi
The World Health Assembly has adopted a landmark resolution addressing the intersection of climate change and global public health, with a warmer climate estimated to cause at least 21 million additional deaths by 2050.
The resolution, endorsed by 194 WHO member states, outlines a framework to promote health and develop climate-resilient and sustainable health systems. This adoption precedes the upcoming UN technical negotiations on climate in Bonn next week.
Proposed by countries including Barbados, Brazil, and the United Kingdom, the resolution recognizes climate change as a significant threat to global public health. It emphasizes the urgent need for global climate action to build resilient health systems and reduce carbon emissions.
The resolution underscores the growing impact of extreme weather events on public health, threatening well-being, livelihoods, and health infrastructure. It calls for comprehensive adaptation measures to enhance the resilience of health systems and mitigate climate change impacts. The resolution also highlights the role of modern health systems in contributing to environmental pollution and carbon emissions.
The World Health Assembly (WHA), the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), is held in May each year. It brings together ministers and senior health leaders from WHO’s 194 member states to discuss global health issues, identify common priorities, and request WHO to address these through its different programs. Through its resolutions, the WHA shapes the direction of global health by addressing emerging challenges, setting targets, and advocating for policies to improve health outcomes worldwide.
“Adoption of the Climate Change and Health resolution during this World Health Assembly demonstrates a clear political commitment by governments and WHO to scale up climate action as a public health priority in order to protect people from the increasing health impacts of climate change,” said Rosie Tasker, Clean Air Liaison at the Global Climate and Health Alliance. “Following years of calls for greater action by civil society organizations and the Director General and other senior leadership of WHO, the resolution also clearly connects health to climate mitigation, adaptation, and for the first time, loss and damage. Adoption of the resolution should now spur WHO and the global health community to respond to the challenges of the climate crisis, including working more closely with the UNFCCC and building on the COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health.”
“The Climate Change and Health resolution highlights the myriad ways in which climate change is shaping people’s health, from increasing food insecurity and air pollution to emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, alongside more frequent extreme heat and weather events,” said Tasker. “The resolution also notes how climate change is affecting the ability of individuals to access clinics and hospitals. One major theme during the WHA negotiations will be how climate change is already exacerbating gender inequities and risks faced by the most vulnerable and marginalized communities, jeopardizing the achievement of global health and development goals.”
The resolution also emphasizes how climate change is exacerbating gender vulnerabilities and includes references to the need to increase knowledge and understanding of climate change and how countries should respond. It highlights that climate should be integrated into health monitoring systems and calls on national governments to actively participate in the Alliance for Action on Climate Change and Health (ATACH) – a WHO-led platform for the exchange of knowledge and best practices and for collaboration on building health systems that are sustainable and resilient to the adverse effects of climate change. The resolution promotes intersectoral collaboration among government ministries, such as health and environment, and calls for WHO to develop a Global Plan of Action on Climate Change and Health to guide implementation of the resolution.
Key aspects of the resolution include commitments from member states to integrate climate data into health monitoring systems, collaborate with the WHO-led Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health, and mobilize resources for climate and health initiatives. It also calls for high-level attention to climate and health issues in multilateral forums and emphasizes the importance of intersectoral cooperation.
The resolution recognizes the need for equitable participation and access to climate-related decision-making, particularly for women, girls, and marginalized communities. It also stresses the importance of scientific evidence and research in informing climate action and health policies.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is requested to develop a global WHO plan of action on climate change and health by 2025, emphasizing cross-sectoral cooperation and integrating climate considerations across WHO’s technical work. The Director-General is also urged to establish a WHO Roadmap to Net Zero by 2030 for the WHO Secretariat and collaborate with the wider UN system and other partners to foster integrated and coherent climate and health actions.
Progress in implementing this resolution will be reported to the Health Assembly in 2025, 2027, and 2029.
