Placing health at the center of climate action, as committed by COP28 and articulated by Sultan Al Jaber, President-Designate of COP28

Sultan Al Jaber, the President-Designate of COP28, is pledging to make the upcoming climate summit a crucial platform for addressing global health and the environment. COP28 will introduce the first-ever Health Day and an Environment Health Ministerial, emphasizing the importance of equitable, climate-resilient health systems and vital investments in the health sector. Here are some key points from his statement:

1. Focus on Health and Climate: Sultan Al Jaber acknowledges the critical link between climate change and health, emphasizing that this connection hasn’t been a specific focus of the COP process until now.
2. International Collaboration: He called on the international community to support Health Day and the ministerial event, which will be co-hosted with the World Health Organization (WHO) and several countries.
3. Health Risks of Climate Change: Sultan Al Jaber highlighted the health risks posed by climate change, including shifting disease patterns, expanding disease vectors, and the resurgence of controlled diseases. Air pollution and vector-borne diseases are particularly concerning.
4. COVID-19 Pandemic and Public Health: The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the fragility of public health systems globally, highlighting the need for transformative changes to adapt these systems to climate change.
5. Economic Cost: Climate change-related health crises are estimated to cost between $2-4 billion annually by 2030, exacerbating poverty, especially in vulnerable regions.
6. Climate Finance: He called for increased concessional funds to the Global South, the doubling of adaptation finance by 2025, and replenishing the Green Climate Fund to address climate-related health issues.
7. Investing in Health: Sultan Al Jaber stressed that investments in health should be seen as critical components of climate resilience, and he highlighted the economic benefits of such investments.
8. UAE’s Commitment: He underlined the UAE’s commitment to safeguarding human health, highlighting initiatives like ‘Reaching the Last Mile’ that focus on improving global health outcomes and supporting resilient health systems for vulnerable communities.
9. Leadership and Legacy: Sultan Al Jaber praised the leadership of organizations like the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Green Climate Fund, and the Rockefeller Foundation for their commitment to addressing the climate health financing gap at COP28.
10. COP28 Leadership’s Action Plan: The COP28 Leadership’s Action Plan is a science-based, action-oriented roadmap that encompasses health as one of its core areas, alongside energy, finance, and inclusivity.

Sultan Al Jaber’s commitment to integrating health into the climate change discussions at COP28 reflects the growing recognition of the intertwined nature of these two critical global challenges. This approach aims to drive positive changes in health systems, resilience, and climate financing.