In August 2014, the first ever Global Conference on Health and Climate Change took place at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva.
The conference provided guidance to Health, Environment, Energy and Development Ministers of Member States, senior Civil Servants, technical experts, other UN agencies, NGOs, Chief Executives from Health Authorities, and relevant private sector entities. The first of its kind, the conference aimed at being a spring-board for action in addressing the impacts of climate change on health, with the potential to improve the lives of millions.Conference Background
Climate disruption can compromise health security through extreme weather events and infectious disease outbreaks. Air pollution increases the burden of non-communicable disease. A greater focus on preventative public health measures could ease pressure on health services and provide a more supportive environment for achieving universal health coverage.
Since 2008 the World Health Organization has shown leadership in raising awareness of the threats posed by climate change to health. Specifically, WHO has provided evidence, technical guidance and piloted approaches to protect health from climate risks.There is now an urgent need to advance a more concrete and systematic approach to implementing health protection, led by the health community, in coordination with others.
Conference objective
The health and sustainable development community is mobilized behind evidence-based mechanisms and interventions to mutually reinforce health and climate policy, to programme and enhance climate resilient health systems, and support health-promoting climate change mitigation policies.
Two main topics will be discussed at the conference:
Strengthening health system resilience to climate risks
This thematic area will cover increasing health system resilience to climate-sensitive health risks such as extreme weather events, climate-sensitive communicable diseases, and threats to food, water and food security. It will include a focus on targeting protection towards the most vulnerable populations and stages of the life course, identification of effective interventions, and will work towards developing consensus on an operational framework defining the main health system functions to increase health system resilience to climate variability and change.
Promoting health while mitigating climate changeThis thematic area will cover opportunities to improve health while also controlling climate pollutants. It will focus on key sectors, such as health, energy, and transport, and include specific consideration of the extent to which the health sector can lead by example in providing better services while reducing its own environmental impact, and the potential for economic savings through reduction in the large burden of non-communicable disease associated with air pollution. It will also cover opportunities to further advance collaborative mechanisms, such as the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.
Within each of these themes the conference will make recommendations on (i) policy options to maximize health benefits; and (ii) the specific contribution of the health sector to the objectives. These themes will also form the basis for two parallel workshop sessions during the conference.
Related Links
Other WHO conferences on Climate Change and Health
WHO's work on climate change and Health