Health must be prioritised in COP27 climate change talks

As pivotal climate talks began at COP27 on Sunday, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a grim reminder that the climate crisis continues to make people sick and jeopardizes lives and that health must be at the core of these critical negotiations.

In a statement, WHO said it believes the conference must conclude with progress on the four key goals of mitigation, adaptation, financing and collaboration to tackle the climate crisis. COP27 will be a crucial opportunity for the world to come together and re-commit to keeping the 1.5 °C Paris Agreement goal alive, it added. The UN health agency said its focus will be placing the health threat from the climate crisis and the huge health gains that would come from stronger climate action at the centre of discussions.

"Climate change is making millions of people sick or more vulnerable to disease all over the world and the increasing destructiveness of extreme weather events disproportionately affects poor and marginalized communities," says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO DirectorGeneral. "It is crucial that leaders and decision-makers come together at COP27 to put health at the heart of the negotiations."