Health in the climate crisis: from global policy to integrated action

Science is continuously providing evidence of the negative impact of the triple planetary crisis on human health. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world. Children are particularly vulnerable to climate change, especially a billion of those living in areas that are at high risk, as illustrated in Save the Children’s report "Born into the climate crisis".

The climate crisis is a health crisis as well as a threat for child survival and their ability to thrive. According to General Comment 26 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (GC26), “climate change, biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems are obstacles to the realization of children’s right to health”. Progress towards a planet with a safe climate and healthy ecosystems can only be made by adopting a multisectoral, systems-based approach.

The health sector has a frontline role to play, hence its strong presence at the UNFCCC COP28 where the first-ever Health Day during a COP was held and the COP28 Declaration on climate and health was adopted by over 140 countries.

At the 77th World Health Assembly, Members States will consider a resolution on climate change and health, calling for, amongst other, for the development of a Global Plan of Action. This resolution constitutes an additional building block towards integrated action on climate and health.

The GC26 on child rights and climate, the outcomes of COP28 on health and climate and the forthcoming resolution to be adopted in May 2024, constitute the global policy framework that needs to be translated into concrete actions at the national and sub-national levels with the appropriate level of funding.

In this context, Save the Children, together with the Global Climate, Health Alliance and World Vision, will host a side event that will explore how these global policies could potentially unfold in reality, for example, through projects such as those supported by the Green Climate Fund.