“Any agreement and any plans to reduce emissions and improve sustainability must put human health at the center of the discussion.” COP-30: climate and health – two sides of the same coin Healthcare
At the UN Climate Conference (COP 30) in Belém, Brazil, significant attention was paid to the issue of health. This topic was officially included on the agenda. Why is it so important to take into account the health aspect at climate conferences? Alexandra Egorova, a member of the delegation of the World Health Organization (WHO), spoke about this in an interview with Denis Popov from the UN Climate Secretariat.
Alexandra Egorova: At the World Health Organization, we have long emphasized that health must be at the center of all climate discussions.
We truly believe that any agreement and any plans to reduce emissions and improve sustainability must place human health at the center of the discussion. After all, in the end we are talking about people, their lives, safety and well-being. That is why we think it is so important to give all these negotiations a “human face.” Climate policy is not only about technology or economics, it is primarily about the health of the population, especially those who live in high-risk conditions.
In addition, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, adopted in 1992, has a very important article that explicitly states that countries that have signed the convention are obliged to integrate health issues into all their strategies, both in the areas of adaptation and mitigation. Unfortunately, this obligation is still not fully implemented. And now, when the climate crisis has become a health crisis, we need to return these principles to the center of political decisions. The Bileno Health Action Plan, presented here at COP 30, reminds countries of these commitments to protect people’s health and turn words into action. UN Climate Action November 13. What is this plan and why is it important for the participating countries?
AE: The Bilen Action Plan is a key initiative of Brazil’s COP 30 Presidency and one of the most practical documents adopted in this area. It shows how countries can make their health systems resilient and fair to climate shocks.
It is based on three lines of action. The first is surveillance and monitoring to create systems that track how climate impacts health and provide early warning of risks.
The second is evidence-based policy and capacity building to help countries implement equitable policies and prepare workforces to deal with new climate threats.
The third line of action is innovation, manufacturing and digital health, where special emphasis is placed on green technologies, telemedicine and sustainable supply chains. And also two cross-cutting principles: justice, including climate justice, and leadership, governance and community participation.
The document emphasizes that without the participation of local residents, without taking into account gender, income level or geographical distance, adaptation will not be effective. originally.
DP: In addition to the Belém Action Plan itself, important announcements were made about funding for health and climate change. Which initiatives were presented?
AE: Indeed, this is a significant step forward. International partners have pledged $300 million to implement the Belém Action Plan. Until now, health has accounted for only half a percent of all climate finance. WHO and experts recommend raising this figure to at least seven percent of adaptation funds to protect billions of people and keep hospitals open during climate disasters.
Investing in resilient health systems is one of the best investments any country can make.
Implementing this plan will have a direct impact on the lives of ordinary people. The Belém plan aims to provide the population with access to early warning systems so that people can receive, for example, messages like “It’s hot today, avoid the sun from 11:00 to 16:00!”, “Drink more water!” or “Stay in the shadows!”
Health services will be able to respond to disease outbreaks before they get out of control. Hospitals will be able to operate even during floods or power outages. The plan also encourages the creation of “green” hospitals that use renewable energy, sustainable supply chains and green technologies. And all this with the participation of local communities.
The Belém Plan, like many other ongoing health and climate change initiatives, provides real cause for optimism. We are finally seeing scientific evidence, political will, and concrete tools to move from words to action.
DP: On Friday, November 14, the World Health Organization and the Brazilian Ministry of Health presented two special reports in support of the Belem Action Plan on social participation and the climate-health nexus. What is their key significance for the conference of the parties?
AE: Two complementary reports were presented. The first, a special report on the interactions between climate and health, draws on a large body of evidence and outlines six key messages for health systems. The message is that climate risk is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable, so flexibility must be key to resilience.
With only 15% of organizations using climate-smart building standards today, the report highlights the need for long-term planning, updated infrastructure and new financial mechanisms that allow systems to adapt faster than before.
There are proven solutions across the board Belém Plan, and now countries need to move from strategies to implementation.
However, the report warns that no adaptation will be effective without equity and consideration of vulnerable groups, which are largely unrepresented in most studies. At the same time, a major increase in analytical capacity is required, since more than 60 percent of national adaptation plans do not yet have mechanisms for assessing effectiveness.
Finally, the report emphasizes that the implementation of the Belém Plan requires a significant increase in funding and that the most important adaptation measure remains rapid reductions in emissions, since no health system can remain sustainable in a global environment. warming.
Reducing emissions from the health sector itself also creates savings that countries can directly reinvest in adaptation.
Crucially, the document provides access to more than 70 real-life examples of successful solutions, from early warning systems to sustainable hospital design.
Home The conclusion is that we need to act now, and there are already enough solutions. The second document emphasizes community participation, equity and social truth.
The report emphasizes that vulnerable and historically marginalized groups are hit hardest, and that adaptation will only be successful when communities themselves are actively involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of health interventions.
Together, the two reports form a unified path. One offers evidence and tools, the other provides mechanisms for participation, equity and leadership at the local level.