New WHO report calls for prioritising health in climate action

New Delhi, Nov 8: There is an urgent need to prioritise health aspects in taking action against climate change, said a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO), ahead of the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku (COP29), Azerbaijan.

In the special report on climate and health, the WHO urges world leaders to leave aside the siloed approach, and include health in climate negotiations.

“The climate crisis is a health crisis, which makes prioritising health and well-being in climate action not only a moral and legal imperative but a strategic opportunity to unlock transformative health benefits for a more just and equitable future,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in the report.

The report, developed by WHO in collaboration with over 100 organisations and 300 experts, outlines key actions that can improve the lives of about 3.6 billion people living in areas that are most susceptible to climate change.

Besides making human health and well-being the top measure of climate success; it also called for ending fossil fuel subsidies and reliance. The report suggested investment in clean, sustainable alternatives that can reduce diseases that are surging due to pollution; and also cut carbon emissions.

The report also outlines practical guidelines on addressing health impacts; strengthening health systems: enhancing climate resilience and decarbonisation in health systems, and promoting co-benefits of health and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

According to a recent report published in the Lancet, India is one of the most impacted countries due to climate change.

It showed “10 of 15 indicators tracking health threats reaching… new records".

Despite the commitments of the 2015 Paris Agreement, global temperatures are nearing the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit. This will dramatically escalate health risks, if not mitigated immediately.