Leading international health and climate experts have urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to officially declare the climate crisis a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC), the organization’s highest level of global health alert.
The recommendation came from the independent pan-European Commission on Climate and Health, a group convened by the WHO. The experts warned that climate change is rapidly increasing deaths and illnesses worldwide through extreme heatwaves, floods, air pollution, food insecurity, wildfires, and the spread of infectious diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.
Former Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, who chaired the commission, said the climate crisis threatens “humanity’s very health and survival” and requires the same coordinated global response once seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report also criticized continued fossil fuel subsidies, claiming they contribute to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year through pollution-related illnesses. Experts urged governments to redirect funding toward renewable energy, cleaner transportation, resilient healthcare systems, and climate adaptation measures.
According to the WHO, climate change is already affecting essential components of human health, including clean air, safe water, nutritious food, and secure shelter.
Health experts further warned that hospitals and healthcare systems worldwide are unprepared for worsening climate disasters. Many medical facilities are vulnerable to flooding, prolonged heatwaves, and power disruptions caused by extreme weather events.
The proposal is expected to be discussed during the ongoing World Health Assembly meetings, where global leaders are debating future climate and health policies.
News as Reported.
