Many countries give priority to health and climate change, but do not have the resources to take action

World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health and Climate Change Research Report 2021 provides a valuable overview of the overall progress that governments have made in addressing the health risks of climate change. Findings on key indicators of health and climate change aim to empower policy makers to: make informed decisions about implementing policies and plans; identify deficiencies in evidence; and better understand the barriers to achieving adaptation and resilience priorities in the health sector while maximizing the health benefits of climate change mitigation efforts across the sector.

The health response to climate change is taking place in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, continued environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity, socio-economic inequalities and chronic underinvestment in health systems. Where data is available, the report aims to provide findings on these interrelated challenges.

Main findings

1. Approximately two thirds (67%) of the surveyed countries have implemented climate change and health risk assessment and adjustment or are currently undertaking it. Assessment findings are informed about health policies and programs, but still have a limited impact on the allocation of human and financial resources.
2. More than three quarters (77%) of the surveyed countries have developed or are currently developing national plans for health and climate change or strategies. However, implementation is hampered by insufficient funding, limited human resources and limited research, evidence, technology and tools.
3. About half of the countries surveyed (52%) report it Covid-19 pandemic has a significant impact on their work to protect health from climate change, redirecting health personnel and resources, and slowing the implementation of protection measures. Only one third (33%) of respondents in the country took the opportunity to include climate change and health issues in their plans for recovery from COVID-19.
4. There is progress in development cross-sectoral cooperation on policies and programs related to health and climate change. Most of these collaborations (> 75% of the mechanisms reported in the country) involve stakeholders or sectors dealing with environmental health determinants such as safe water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH), clean air and meteorological services. Stakeholder representation or sectors focused on structural and social determinants of health, such as education, urban planning, housing, energy, and transportation systems are less common (40-50% of mechanisms reported in the country).
5. Less than 40% of countries include weather and climate information in their own health surveillance systems for climate-sensitive diseases. Countries most often have climate-informed health surveillance systems for diseases transmitted by vectors, water, air, or respiratory diseases.
6. Only one-third of countries surveyed have early warning systems for climate-induced health for heat-related illnesses (33%) or injuries and deaths from extreme weather events (30%) despite strong evidence that these risks are increasing worldwide.
7. The health workforce There is increasing information and training on the link between climate change and health (some level of training has been implemented in 42% of countries), but further efforts are needed to ensure that capacity building covers a comprehensive set of relevant skills and is routinely integrated into the health workforce. .
8. An increasing number of countries (27%) are conducting estimates climate resistance theirs Health institution.
9. Only a small proportion of health ministries in low and low middle income countries (LLMICs) (28%) currently receive international funds to support climate change and health work. Access to international funds, including multilateral climate funds, needs to be significantly increased to reach the levels needed to protect health from climate change.
10. Countries have grown significantly health considerations in their nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Almost all (94%) of the 142 new or updated NDCs published in the period 2020-2021. mention health compared to 70% of 184 NDCs in 2019. The health benefits of climate change mitigation are now mentioned in 28% of new or updated NDCs with 10% in 2019.