NGO Consultation Report
Health, Environment and Climate Change - Raising Awareness
January 2019
Alliance for Health Promotion Consultation
Present: 40 Representatives from WHO, Alliance Members, INGOs and Health Professionals.
Moderator: International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation, President Elect Ms. Aya Jamal
Background
Climate Change has a devastating effect on health, particularly on children and those lacking Universal Health Coverage. The same polluting energy sources that are driving climate change are also directly causing massive health burdens - nine out of ten people living in cities breathe polluted air, and air pollution in many places is increasing, a threat that Dr. Tedros has called “the new tobacco”. The Consultation built on EB Agenda item 5.6 Health, Environment and Climate Change, and refers to the WHO Special Report on Health to the 24th Climate Change Conference of the Parties, the outcomes of the first WHO global conference on air pollution, and the 2018 UNEP / WHO Nairobi Collaboration Agreement
The WHO Health Special COP24 Report at the Katowice Climate Conference in December 2018 identifies human health as the most important resource threatened by climate change. It provided key recommendations for the negotiators on how to maximize the health benefits of reducing climate change, notably through reducing air pollution, and how to avoid the health impacts. Millions of people are exposed to air pollution, resulting in 7 million premature deaths, 3 billion lack access to clean and reliable energy and nearly a quarter of all deaths are caused by people living or working in unhealthy environments. Unless significant changes are made, the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement and the SDGs will not be reached. Awareness is the first tool to affect change, and some progress is being made. For example, Breathe Life, a global campaign led by WHO, UNEP and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, aims to mobilize cities and individuals to protect them from the effects of air pollution. But more needs to be done.
The January 2018 UNEP/WHO Collaboration Agreement signed in Nairobi, showed how to curb environmental health risks, which currently cause an estimated 12,6 million deaths a year. Joint actions cover air pollution, climate change and antimicrobial resistance, waste and chemicals management, water quality, food and nutrition. This was the most significant formal agreement on joint action across all environment and health issues in over 15 years. Alliance Members have the experience and expertise in community action to bring awareness on these issues