During COP30, Alexandre Padilha announced the first international climate adaptation plan dedicated to health
-t8cwb5ngj0hl.png "Adriel Farias, from Belem (Pennsylvania)"){kind=small}
Today, Thursday, the 13th of this month, the Ministry of Health launched the first international climate adaptation plan dedicated to health. Minister Alexandre Padilha announced the “Belem Health Action Plan” during a press conference at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30). The document has been recognized by the World Health Organization and in partnership with more than 100 countries and international institutions.
“The Belém Plan symbolizes Brazil and the international community’s commitment to life and climate justice,” Padilha said. “We call for a global effort to protect the health of the most vulnerable people, and to strengthen the preparedness of health systems for extreme heat, floods, drought and other emergencies.”
Adaptation is one of the main themes of the Conference of the Parties held in Belem (Pennsylvania). The theme envisages countries adopting strategies to reduce the effects of climate change, which has caused extreme events across the planet. A recent example of this is the hurricane that struck Paraná.
He added: “Belem has become a symbol of a new paradigm: taking care of our health is also taking care of the planet. It is science, solidarity and teamwork that will allow us to build a fairer and healthier future for all.”
The document brings together concrete actions so that delegations can prepare to respond to the health impacts of climate change. Brazil led the process of building the plan with the United Kingdom, Egypt, Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates, the last countries to host the COP.
According to the minister, extreme weather events, such as floods and drought, have become a challenge to health systems, especially in the most vulnerable areas. Climate change is also affecting the spread of diseases and deaths caused by extreme heat, a phenomenon that affects many countries annually.
He added: “An example of this concerns the city of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, which suffered from a hurricane last Saturday. The hurricane destroyed many health services and these health services will already be rebuilt with new building standards, a more resilient structure in the face of climate change. Brazil will adapt according to these experiences that have already occurred, and health systems will already be adapted taking these climate changes into account.”
In addition to Padilha, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Steele also participated in the launch of the plan; Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; and COP30 Executive President, Anna Toney. Ghebreyesus completed Padilha’s speech by saying that the health issue had been neglected for some time in other COPs, but Belem had changed that.
“Health is the most urgent reason for climate action, but for too long it has taken a back seat in climate negotiations. The Belém Plan changes that, by offering concrete actions that countries can put into action to build healthier and more resilient societies in a warming world,” he stressed.
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