The World Health Organisation (WHO) has made a bold statement at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, declaring that health must be at the heart of climate-change discussions.
“We want [negotiators at COP29] to be aware that when they are negotiating emissions, they should know that they are negotiating with our health as well,” said Dr Maria Neira, director of the department of environment, climate change and health at WHO.
Speaking to journalists, Neira highlighted how the ongoing climate crisis was directly affect human health across the globe. The WHO’s strategy is to reframe climate change not just as an environmental or economic issue but as an immediate public health emergency. The organisation hopes this approach will compel leaders to act swiftly and decisively.
At the forefront of the WHO’s presentation was the report, “Health is THE Argument for Climate Action,” which outlines the health consequences of a warming planet. “Climate change is making us sick, as simple as that,” Neira said.
“This diagnosis is clearly based on science, not controversy, and unfortunately, we see the urgency of this climate-change impact on our health every day across the globe, in different events.”
She explained that climate change was affecting food production, polluting water sources, filling oceans with plastic and degrading air quality. Extreme weather events were displacing populations and heatwaves were claiming lives worldwide, Neira said.
For SA, the reality of these statements is already a lived experience. Dr Caradee Wright, chief specialist scientist at the SA Medical Research Council and leader of the Climate and Health Research Programme, highlighted the case of seven farm workers who died of heatstroke in Kakamas in 2023.
The deaths resulted from rising temperatures compounded by load-shedding, which disrupted essential water delivery. “We are going to see this more and more,” Wright warned. She also noted that the most vulnerable groups included children, people with disabilities, the elderly and pregnant women. Extreme heat was a pressing issue for SA.
“People with pre-existing diseases and the elderly will suffer especially in extreme heat.”
Pregnant women, outdoor workers, and those already struggling with inadequate health support were also at severe risk, she said. Infectious diseases such as malaria and cholera were expected to spread. Wright added that mental health was another growing concern. “People should be happy and productive,” she said, but the psychological toll of climate-related disasters, such as losing homes to floods, was mounting.
Wright also expressed concern about the health sector’s ability to handle large numbers of people seeking medical help in the event of, for instance, an extreme heatwave. “As things are, people are already not being supported enough ... how are we going to handle that?” she questioned.
Despite the grim reality, Neira noted that addressing climate change could yield enormous health benefits. “If we use the health argument ... by tackling the causes of climate change, the health benefits that we will unlock from those interventions can be enormous,” she said. Cleaner air could save 7-million lives annually, and healthier, more sustainable food systems could prevent up to 5-million deaths each year.
The economic complexities of climate action remain a challenge. In response to a journalist’s question about financing, Neira pointed out that less than 1% of global climate funds were dedicated to health — a striking misalignment given the scale of the problem.
Neira outlined five key interventions: ending fossil-fuel subsidies; enhancing urban infrastructure; developing early warning systems for heatwaves; prioritising energy efficiency; and ensuring sustainable transport.
“If implemented globally, these measures could save 2-million lives each year,” she said. “The investments are not the argument. Health is the argument.”
Climate Change and Health Adaptation Plan 2014/2019, which is under review, “guides measures to adapt to climate change impacts”, health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said.
“The review of the National Adaptation Plan is informed by the Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA). The plan has several activities to guide provinces and municipalities.”
He says that in 2021, the department developed the Heat Health Action guidelines to guide municipalities and provinces on the development of heat health action plans.
“Information, education and communication materials have been developed to empower people on how to respond during heatwaves as part of general awareness. The department has a climate change and health steering committee, which meets on a quarterly basis to support the department with skills to facilitate the adaptation plan.”
According to Mohale, the department also receives support from the forestry, fisheries and environment department under their sector support programme, with funding for project implementation.
“The department leverages support from different stakeholders, for example, the World Bank, on the Heat Early Warning project.”
• Business Day’s COP29 coverage has been made possible by the Meliore Foundation, which has covered flight and accommodation costs
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