Dubai, UAE: In the face of rising global temperatures, heat waves and proliferating diseases because of variations in climate, physicians, activists, and representatives from various countries attending the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai have called for intensified efforts to mitigate the escalating health and safety threats stemming from climate change.
As global temperatures continue to rise, experts stress the need for countries to increase healthcare funding, anticipating heightened risks from diseases such as malaria and cholera.
COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber asserted that climate-related impacts have evolved into one of the paramount threats to human health in the 21st century.
As many as 123 out of nearly 200 participating countries at COP28 signed a declaration acknowledging their shared responsibility to safeguard people from these threats. However, the declaration did not reference fossil fuels, the primary source of climate-warming emissions.
The repercussions of climate change are already manifesting in rising cases of malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress in certain regions. To underscore these concerns, a group of physicians and climate activists staged a demonstration within the COP28 compound.
Joseph Vipond, an emergency physician from Alberta, Canada, highlighted the real-world impacts of climate change, citing the case of a child who succumbed to an asthma attack exacerbated by smoke inhalation from record wildfires in Western Canada.
The increasing frequency of dangerous storms and erratic rainfall is also contributing to the climate-health crisis. Recent events, such as Storm Daniel claiming over 11,000 lives in Libya and massive flooding in Pakistan leading to a 400pc surge in malaria cases, underscore the urgency of the situation.
Governments and philanthropic organizations are anticipated to announce new financing initiatives for climate-related health concerns. The World Bank has launched a Climate and Health program to explore interventions and public health solutions for developing countries. Additionally, ten of the world's leading development banks, including the World Bank, committed to collaborating on tracking climate impacts, including public health risks.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, now a philanthropist, highlighted ongoing efforts to develop new treatments and preventive measures for mosquito-spread malaria in response to rising temperatures. Gates emphasized the potential of innovative tools to control mosquito populations at a reasonable cost.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the need for reform in the world's insurance system as a crucial component of ensuring people's safety in the face of climate change. Clinton expressed concern about insurance companies withdrawing from various regions, leaving homes and businesses uninsured in the wake of climate-related events.
