World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, has warned that the climate crisis is also a health crisis, urging stronger global cooperation as COP30 gets underway in Belém, Brazil.
“The Climate crisis is a health crisis,” Dr Piukala said on X.
“Across the WHO Western Pacific Region and globally, climate-triggered crises are mounting from environmental degradation to storms, earthquakes and other disasters with devastating impacts on the health, safety and wellbeing of literally billions,” he said.
As the UN climate conference begins, Dr Piukala called for united action.
“We at WHO are urging governments, policymakers, health authorities and civil society partners to come together all the more to accelerate action aimed at reducing the harms of Climate Change.”
He commended countries in the region for their efforts but said more needs to be done.
“I commend our 38 countries and areas in the WHO Western Pacific Region – from China and Indonesia on one hand to the Pacific island countries on the other – for taking various actions to do just that.
We are seeing progress -but not enough,” he said.
Dr Piukala stressed that the solutions are already known but require stronger commitment.
“The thing is, we know what needs to be done – by countries individually, and by countries collectively. What we need is consistent political leadership -with the knowledge that we sink or swim together.” Dr Piukala said.
