Climate change must be treated as a health emergency, with Pacific countries calling for climate and health financing to be brought together and health facilities made more resilient to climate impacts.
World Health Organisation Western Pacific Regional Director Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala said climate change could no longer be treated separately from health, particularly in Pacific Island countries.
“Climate change has long been a health emergency. It’s past time we treated it that way,” Piukala said during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Dr Piukala said discussions with Fiji’s Minister for Climate Change Lynda Tabuya, Dr Andrew Jones of the Pacific Community (SPC) and a representative of the Marshall Islands reinforced the need for a coordinated approach.
“One message was clear: climate and health cannot be treated as separate issues,” he said.
“As a Pacific Islander, I know this is not abstract.
It is about our families, freshwater, food, homes, and the health services people rely on when crisis strikes.”
He called for climate and health financing to be aligned, health facilities to be made climate-resilient and Pacific knowledge and leadership to be recognised in climate responses.
Dr Piukala said the Pacific must maintain a united position ahead of Pre-COP discussions in Fiji and Tuvalu and COP31.
“As we head towards pre-COP in Fiji and Tuvalu, we must keep speaking with one voice: climate action is health action,” he said.
