Climate Change, Pollution and Health
The Second GMWHO World Health Assembly,
Deeply conscious that the effects of climate change are causing the most vulnerable groups and marginalized populations to suffer, jeopardizing the future of the world’s development and the lack of effective and inclusive health systems which urges governments to collaborate to navigate the complexities of issues that arise from the climate crisis;
Acknowledging that due to the fear of loss of profits, governmental agencies tend to deregulate the activities of corporations leading to unregulated levels of pollution and waste released into the environment and further recognizing that such deregulatory behavior may exacerbate air, water, and soil pollution, with long-term negative impacts on ecosystems and public health;
Recalling the United Nations General Assembly resolution 70/1 (2015), Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which lays the path of global sustainable development, affirms the duty of each member state in protecting the planet's ecosystems and biodiversity and focuses on the ultimate goal of reversing the adverse impacts of climate change;
Recalling the targets set by the Paris Climate Agreement 2015, to limit the increase of global average temperatures to well below 2ºC and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels, focusing on reducing greenhouse emissions and building climate resilience in vulnerable sectors;
Appreciating the Tech Access Partnership (TAP) launched by various UN Agencies which also includes the UNDP, UN Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, and WHO, and suggests facilitating connections of manufacturers with expertise, with promising manufacturers in developing countries guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN’s call for shared responsibility and solidarity during the COVID-19 crisis;
Recalling the Paris Agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, the Cancun Agreements made by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Montreal Protocol, and the COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health which allows numerous strategies to develop and establish climate-resilient, sustainable and carbon-free healthcare systems which should incorporate innovation and economic diversification, through initiatives such as the alliance for transformative action on climate and health ATACH connecting to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), especially SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action);
Guided by resolutions WHA68.8 (2015) dealing with air pollution affecting healthcare, WHA61.19 (2008) on the funding of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which emphasizes the increased number of cases of climate change-related health issues across the globe, WHA69.2 (2016) on the Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage; and WHA 76.17 (2023) emphasizing the complex interactions between waste chemicals, climate change, and health outcomes;
Alarmed by the increasing severity and relative economic infrastructural and humanitarian damages of natural disasters affecting the health and well-being of citizens as well as the essential infrastructure and the resilience of health systems worldwide as well as accelerating the problem of insignificant investment in low and middle-income countries while noting a 40% rise in weather-related disasters since 2000 which is lead to over 1.3 million deaths underscoring the need for enhanced disaster preparedness;
Fully aware of the urgent need for increased access to preventative, diagnostic, and treatment measures such as testing equipment, antibiotics, vaccines, medications, and health kits to vulnerable populations across all age groups, needed to combat epidemics and noncommunicable diseases, particularly vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, zika, and other zoonotic diseases, 1.
URGES Member States:
(1) to implement sanitation initiatives, collaboration between local populations, field experts, and NGOs should be promoted to develop sanitation drives, particularly in rural or congested areas, lawmakers should listen to proposals for action from all sectors of society, learn from successful domestic and international experiences, and rationalize the allocation of medical resources, reflecting each region’s conditions including wastewater treatment contributing to improved public health aligning with SDG 6 as well as promoting WASH Practice;
(2) to design, improve, and construct strengthened and reinforced buildings, using sustainable materials that cover living and public spaces and health institutions in order to withstand extreme weather conditions and deliver uninterrupted health services during times of crisis and natural disasters, through the pooling of funds, information, research and manpower to the development of reinforced buildings, in accordance with the Sendai Framework of Disaster Reduction, and with organizations such as the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure;
(3) to promote and implement the development, research, and investment in renewable energy, including solar, wind, geothermal, hydrogen energy, and plant-based biomass, as alternative solutions to non-renewable fuels to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter pollution, with positive effects on chronic respiratory illness rates and overall public health thereby integrating renewable sources into national energy grids for the advancing of climate change mitigation efforts;
(4) to enhance access to preventative, diagnostic, and treatment measures in response to disease outbreaks, by collaborating with member states to deliver essential health services and medicines, and by increasing the concentration of clinics, hospitals, and care centers in remote areas through implementation of compact mobile units and efficient and modular equipments, while ensuring equitable distribution of vaccination schedules and pathogen testing equipment across all regions, to combat the spread of vector-borne diseases; 2.
CALLS UPON
international organizations and other stakeholders:
(1) to advance the development and equitable implementation of affordable, accessible pathogen testing technologies, enabling timely and effective disease containment to prevent epidemics and pandemics. This requires the development of efficient, cost-effective, and accessible pathogen testing methods, along with strong surveillance systems that use real-time data. Additionally, building partnerships among governments, international organizations, and the private sector will be vital for sharing best practices and resources, ultimately improving our ability to prevent future epidemics and pandemics;
(2) to undertake coordinated measures such as early warning systems that ensure the provision of emergency care and better anticipate disasters and reduce their impact and destruction on human health and infrastructure by prioritizing affordable, climateresilient construction materials and mangroves to prevent flooding while considering community-centered solutions such as rainwater harvesting systems;
(3) to conserve and restore natural areas such as wetlands and forests, by implementing reforestation, afforestation, and agroforestry initiatives and generating economic initiatives among their local community to conserve local nature, thus allowing them to expand and continue to absorb carbon from the atmosphere to reduce global emissions, making them efficient carbon sinks, promote local biodiversity, To endorse United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) and provide livelihoods to Indigenous communities and their traditional health practices, promote local biodiversity, and provide job opportunities through environmental tourism and conservation projects;
(4) to strategically implement innovative agricultural technologies, such as aquaponics and hydroponics for urban farming, in conjunction with sophisticated, smart irrigation systems, aimed at enhancing the resilience and sustainability of global agricultural practices. These initiatives are essential for adapting to and mitigating the impacts of natural disasters exacerbated by the climate crisis, ensuring food security, resource efficiency, and environmental stewardship in an era of increasing climatic unpredictability;
(5) to actively support the transfer of health-centered sustainable, new energy and reliable to developing countries, enabling effective responses the challenges posed by climate change, and solid environmental governance,and further fostering robust public healthcare systems for improved population health outcomes;
(6) to encourage all member states of the WHO to share data and strategies with the Division of Data, Analytics, and Delivery for Impact of the WHO (DII), including but not limited to epidemiological studies, clinical trials, public health interventions, and field studies, in order to track outbreaks, analyze trends, assess risk factors, and enhance early response mechanisms, thereby strengthening global health security and resilience;
(7) to integrate sustainable municipal waste management protocols, particularly targeting locations with high rates of littering, such as beaches, roads, and water bodies, in collaboration with concerned experts and NGOs, with assistance from the locals, bringing communities together in a constructive manner adhering to WHA76.17 (2023);
(8) to promote disaster risk reduction technology helping countries detect and prepare for previously hidden disasters so that extraneous resources are not spent on rebuilding the harms and salvaging the aftermath of the destruction; 3.
REQUESTS
the Director-General:
(1) to work closely with the UN-OHRLLS to ensure healthy lives and establish a welfare state that allows equitable access to health care, especially for displaced persons, women, children, and those who are facing physical and psychological trauma, chronic illnesses, and disabilities with a focus on achieving the targets set by the SDG goals notably target 1.5 target 3.d , target 6.7 , target 7.5, target 13.1, target 11.5 and target 11.a and target 3.9, 7.1, and 11.6 while recognizing the need to improve the doctor-patient ratio to meet the WHO recommended 1:1000 standard in these regions;
(2) to assess environmental risks and climate trends for appropriate public awareness and educational programs, aimed at fostering community engagement in environmental preservation through the implementation of transparent and cooperative data-sharing systems, with the UNEP and IRENA to integrate renewable energy solutions aligned with national non-communicable diseases profiles and climate goals from the 2019 Climate Action Report with the guidance of the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate Change and Health (ATACH) monitoring system;
(3) to enhance international collaboration on pollution control, nations should adopt more severe air quality standards and work closely with the entire international community. This should be enacted through data sharing and joint monitoring, allowing countries to respond quickly to hazardous pollution incidents and ensure that first-hand information is available to guide disaster responders to affected areas. Cap-and-trade systems should also be introduced to encourage the use of renewable energy;
(4) to create informative resources and emergency survival kits, which will include essential items such as water, non-perishable food, flashlights, first-aid kits, radios with NOAA weather radio alerts, extra batteries, dust masks, moist towelettes, garbage bags, wrenches or pliers for utility shutdowns, local maps, cell phones with chargers and backup batteries, walkie talkies, and reflective tape ensuring resources are tailored to local needs that are accessible in multiple languages while collaborating with communities and local organizations to support grassroots efforts in pollution concerning awareness and health protection;
(5) to establish and enhance international partnerships and communication networks with Member States that facilitate the rapid sharing of information and resources, during natural disasters providing Member States with first-hand information and guidance for prevention and reconstruction.