The World Health Organization joined Pacific leaders, governments and partners at Pre-COP31 in Fiji, seeking to place health more firmly at the centre of climate policy before COP31 opens in Antalya, Türkiye, next month.
WHO said climate change is already affecting health across the Western Pacific through extreme heat, cyclones, floods, rising seas, food and water insecurity, infectious disease and disruption to essential health services. A recent review of 76 hospitals in 14 Pacific island countries found that 62 per cent were located within 500 metres of the sea or a river, increasing their exposure to flooding, storm surges and sea-level rise.
WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala said: “This Pre-COP is an important moment for the Pacific, bringing global climate discussions to a region that has long been at the forefront of the climate crisis.”
Health is one of the ten priority themes of the COP31 Action Agenda, under “Dynamic and Resilient Health Systems”, and a dedicated Health Day is scheduled for 9 November, the opening day of COP31. WHO said it will work with countries to strengthen climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems and to integrate health considerations into national climate plans, resilience programmes and climate investments.
