The COP28 will host the first-ever day dedicated to health and the very first climate-health ministerial meeting, which will bring together ministers of health, environment, climate, finance and other sectors towards more ambitious action to address the rapidly growing burden of climate change on health.
It aims to catalyse collaborative efforts to safeguard both the planet and the well-being of its inhabitants, underscoring the urgent link between environmental stewardship and human health.
It is estimated that 3.6 billion people, almost half of the world population, are affected by climate change. It has become of paramount importance that countries and WHO take concrete steps to restrict further changes in climate, so as to ensure that temperatures don't rise beyond 1.5 degrees, use more clean energy and expand the healthcare infrastructure for better healthcare.
The Health Pavilion, the Energy for Health installation, the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) day and other events organised with various partners will put more focus on global healthcare.
Besides, the COP28 Health Pavilion, located in the Opportunity Petal, Thematic Arena 2 (TA2 225), Blue Zone, will host a wide range of events to champion the health perspective in climate action, reinforce international cooperation, encourage increased funding for health and bring attention to the most vulnerable populations.
“The World Health Organization's (WHO) decision to prioritise the impact of climate change on health at the upcoming COP28 summit in Dubai is both crucial and commendable. Recognising the interconnectedness of global health and environmental sustainability, this approach is expected to pave the way for comprehensive healthcare strategies as climate plays a crucial role in our health,” said Dr Abood Sawafi, educationist and climate change activist from Buraimi University.
The programme includes almost 40 events, including on accelerating electricity access, building climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health systems, fostering mitigation measures and climate-resilient food systems.
A variety of topics pertaining to health and climate change are in focus on each day. Some of them include ‘’The climate crisis is a health crisis: Uniting to galvanise action towards solutions for climate adaptation”, besides the World Climate Action Summit Leaders' Event: Putting Health at the Centre of the Climate Agenda, and Energy for Health installation official opening sessions.
Dr Dilip Kumar Singvi, internal medicine specialist, said, “Climate change causes heat strokes or exhaustion, spread of lung diseases due to air pollution and water borne disease like diarrhoea after floods, storms, and viral infections like dengue, malaria transmitted by mosquitoes besides malnutrition.”
According to Dr Viresh Chopra, climate changes will also have a substantial impact on one’s mental health as well. “Climate-related events such as natural disasters and extreme weather conditions can result in psychological distress, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among affected populations."
The first-ever COP28 Health Day dedicated to health at the UN Climate Conference aims to catalyse collaborative efforts to safeguard both the planet and the well-being of its inhabitants, underscoring the urgent link between environmental stewardship and human health.
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