The action plan adopted at COP 30 in Brazil sets out practical steps to combat climate change. Top news of the day | Thursday: COP-30, Sudan, Gaza, mental health UN
The main news of the day at the UN in the world: UN Climate Conference in Belem, humanitarian situation in Sudan, vaccination of children in Gaza, mental health of youth in the WHO European Region.
UN Climate Conference
An action plan to adapt global health systems to rising temperatures and extreme weather was unveiled at the UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, on Thursday. Brazil called it “a decisive moment to demonstrate the potential of the health sector in global action to combat climate change.” The Action Plan, developed by the World Health Organization, UN University and the Organization’s partners in collaboration with the Government of Brazil, outlines practical steps to combat climate change: strengthening health systems to cope with climate shocks, mobilizing financial and technological resources for adaptation, and giving communities a voice and encouraging their participation in governance.
Humanitarian situation in Sudan
World Food Program (WFP) officials warned Thursday that more than 21 million people, 45 percent of Sudan’s total population, now face severe food shortages as a result of more than two and a half years of armed conflict. Famine has been reported in the cities of El Fasher and Kadugli, which are largely deprived of access to humanitarian aid. However, in nine other communities where WFP maintains constant access, the worst-case scenario was averted.
Vaccinating children in Gaza
The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) are trying to help the 44,000 children in Gaza who have been deprived of life-saving health services as a result of two years of conflict. The immunization campaign will last until November 18. Providing the necessary medical care to such a large number of children directly depends on the parties’ compliance with the complete ceasefire. A lasting truce will ensure families, health workers and aid workers have free and safe access to vaccination sites.
Youth mental health in the WHO European Region
Mental disorders among children and young people are becoming increasingly common, with the quality and availability of care falling short of the scale of the problem. This is stated in a new report from the Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization. According to the information provided in it, every seventh child and adolescent in the region uniting the countries of Europe and Central Asia lives with a mental disorder. Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable, with one in four girls aged 15–19 experiencing mental health problems. Suicide remains the leading cause of death among youth ages 15–29.