Some forty seven countries, including Jordan, have committed to develop climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26), in response to growing evidence of the impact of climate change on people’s health.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the World Health Organization (WHO), the governments of these 47 countries, which include some of those most vulnerable to the health harms caused by climate change as well as some of the world’s biggest carbon emitters, have committed to take concrete steps towards creating climate-resilient health systems.
Forty-two of these countries have also committed to transform their health systems to be more sustainable and low-carbon, it said, adding that twelve have set a target date to reach net zero carbon emissions on or before 2050.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated “the future of health must be built on health systems that are resilient to the impacts of epidemics, pandemics and other emergencies, but also to the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events and the increasing burden of various diseases related to air pollution and our warming planet.”
“Health systems must also be part of the solution, by reducing carbon emissions. We applaud those countries that have committed to building climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems, and we hope to see many others following their lead in the near future,” he added.
The key health priorities for COP26 include: building climate resilient health systems; developing low carbon sustainable health systems; adaptation Research for Health; the inclusion of health priorities in Nationally Determined Contributions, and raising the voice of health professionals as advocates for stronger ambition on climate change.
Source: Jordan News Agency