Declare climate crisis a global public health emergency, experts tell WHO

"The climate crisis should be declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization, or millions more people will die unnecessarily, leading international experts have said. The independent pan-European commission on climate and health, which was convened by the WHO, concluded the climate crisis was such a worldwide threat to health that the WHO should declare it a public health emergency of international concern (Pheic). The international spread of vector-borne disease, such as dengue and chikungunya, as well as the health impacts of extreme weather events, global heating, food insecurity and air pollution make a Pheic necessary, said the commission's report."

"Pheics are the highest level of health alert. Previous declarations include infectious diseases such as Covid and Mpox. While declaring one would not on its own reverse climate change, it would trigger the kind of coordinated international response that the scale of the health crisis demands but has not yet materialised. The 11-strong independent commission, which includes former health and climate ministers, said: Far from being a fading priority or fake news, climate change poses an immediate and long-term threat to health, economic, food, water, environmental, personal, community and national security."

"In an interview with the Guardian, Katrin Jakobsdottir, a former prime minister of Iceland who chaired the commission, said: The climate crisis may not be a pandemic, but it's still a public health emergency that threatens humanity's very health and survival. And if we don't act more quickly and comprehensively, many millions more people could die or face life-changing illness."

The climate crisis is urged to be declared a global public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization. International experts concluded the crisis poses a worldwide threat to health and should trigger the highest level of health alert. The need is linked to the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, health impacts from extreme weather events, global heating, food insecurity, and air pollution. A declaration would not reverse climate change by itself, but it would support coordinated international response at the scale of the health crisis. The commission warned climate change threatens health, economic stability, food and water security, environmental conditions, and personal and national security.

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