“We need real solutions. The climate crisis is putting pressure on health systems and affecting the most vulnerable families,” who are “already suffering from Paying the price for global warmingUN Climate Change Convention Executive Secretary Simon Steele said at the COP30 plenary session on the afternoon of 13 November.
With these words, he launched hand in hand with Brazil, the host country of the summit. Belem Health Action Plan. This is the first global climate change adaptation initiative to focus exclusively on health.
As reported by EFE, the proposal, in which dozens of countries, organizations, companies and civil society participated, includes concrete measures to Help strengthen health systems In the face of the climate emergency, which is already causing deaths, doubling diseases and collapsing hospitals in different regions of the world.
The most recent example of this is the passage of Hurricane Melissa, which left at least 45 dead in Jamaica, 43 dead in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic, in addition to many material damages. “This reminds us why adaptation can save lives,” Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) President Jarbas Barbosa said at the presentation ceremony.
Long periods of drought also cause fires to spread Respiratory diseases. While high temperatures facilitate the spread of dengue fever and increase deaths due to extreme heat or… Conditions related to air quality.
Business areas
As Brazilian Health Minister Alexandre Padilha explained, the plan was built on two principles: health promotion and equity, and governance with civil society participation.
In practice, it will be organized around Three areas of work: Health surveillance and monitoring with a focus on climate; Policies, strategies and training; Innovation, production and digital health.
It is expected, for example, Strengthening epidemiological monitoring capabilities Or incorporating new voices, such as those of indigenous peoples, into health decision-making. It also aims to strengthen manufacturing and supply chains for essential health products.
For this reason, Barbosa asked health ministers to support the plan and integrate it into their national programmes, which will be supervised by the World Health Organization.
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