The World Health Organization had released an Operational Framework aimed at protecting health systems against climate-related shocks while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The comprehensive Framework was released in time for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate (COP-28), intended to defend global community health in the face of an increasingly unstable and changing climate.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, highlighted the twin obligation of global health systems to withstand climate-related impacts while simultaneously reducing their own carbon footprint.
The requirement for robust health systems is crucial as global temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more common. The WHO Framework for Action offers a strategic approach to addressing this challenge, emphasizing resource optimization, greenhouse gas reduction, and improved care quality. It positions the health sector to set an example, as it now accounts for approximately 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The Framework provides multiple approaches for health systems to improve climate resilience and reduce carbon emissions while taking into account their particular situations, performance levels, and capacity to address climate change and health challenges. This covers low-income countries working to achieve universal health coverage by increasing access to energy and health services.
The Framework's main goals are:
Implementing the Framework has greater implications than just healthcare, contributing to bigger goals including universal health coverage, global health security, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Framework coincides with the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH), which was founded by the United Kingdom and WHO during COP26 in response to demands from Ministers of Health from over 75 nations.
This Framework not only acts as a road map for health organizations but also provides vital insights for decision-makers in health-related sectors. It establishes a clear way for health systems to safeguard communities in the face of climate change, decrease emissions, and contribute to global health goals as part of a design for a future-proof and sustainable health sector.
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