At COP29, PAHO warns that failure to focus on people in vulnerable situations will exacerbate health inequities

At COP29 this week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) underscored the importance of focusing on the needs of populations in situations of vulnerability when implementing policies to address the health impact of climate change.

Speaking at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), which took place from 11-22 November in Baku, Azerbaijan, Gerry Eijkemans, Director of the Department of Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity, highlighted that “we have learnt a lot of lessons from COVID-19, and we saw that if we do not put a special focus on those populations, inequities will  be exacerbated when it comes to health and climate change.”

For Eijkemans, while these issues are gaining more attention, much remains to be done. “It is crucial we focus on the conditions in which people live and how these conditions make them vulnerable to climate change. If we fail to do this from the very beginning, we will leave a lot of people behind.”

To address this situation, at PAHO’s 61st Directing Council in October 2024, Member States adopted a new Policy to strengthen Equity-Oriented Health Sector Action on Climate Change and Health.

The policy, which calls for a strong focus on equity in actions relating to climate change and health, aims to strengthen the health sector and improve climate change adaptation and mitigation. The policy also focuses on ensuring the participation of communities in situations of vulnerability, optimizing surveillance systems, and increasing climate and health financing.

Climate change and health in the Americas

The Americas is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change due to its susceptibility to extreme weather events, economies that depend on climate-sensitive sectors and high levels of social inequality.

Extreme whether events can damage health care infrastructure, hindering service delivery during and after disasters, particularly in the Region’s small island developing states (SIDS) which are particularly susceptible to hurricanes and floods.

Over the past two decades, heatwaves have led to a 160% increase in heat-related deaths in the Americas. The Region has also experienced a hike in vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria. This is likely due to an increase in temperature that has led to the expansion of disease vectors into new areas. As a result, 2023, was a record year for dengue in the Americas, with cases reaching over 4.6 million. This number was already surpassed during the first half of 2024.

In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Special Initiative on Climate Change and Health in Small Island Developing States. As part of this global initiative, PAHO prepared the Caribbean Action Plan on Health and Climate Change in consultation with Caribbean Member States and territories.

This Action Plan has four main strategic lines:

1. Empowerment, to support health leadership in the Caribbean to engage nationally and internationally.
2. Evidence, to better understand, prepare, and respond to the impacts of climate change on health.
3. Implementation, to build climate-resilient health systems and health-promoting mitigation actions.
4. Resources, to increase climate change and health financing.

At COP29, PAHO co-organized two events at the WHO Pavilion with WHO: Building health sector resilience in Small Island Developing State (SIDS); and Equity Considerations in Health Sector Actions on Climate Change and Health. 

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This story was first published by PAHO.