A total of 124 countries endorsed the first COP political declaration for climate and health. The declaration serves as an acknowledgment by countries of the health impacts of climate change.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said making the health argument can help people better understand the impact of climate change.
“Of course the ice cap melting or the warming is very important and it’s happening, but it seems distant to many people. So I think this argument could help us, the health argument, because they can understand, ‘OK, our children are dying, or our citizens are dying, because of all these health conditions,’” he said on Sunday during the first climate and health ministerial meeting at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP 28.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.