Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Cop28 President-designate, has emphasized the crucial link between climate change and public health. Speaking during the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week, he called for a shift in focus within the Cop process to address this connection.
Dr. Al Jaber stressed the need to build resilient and equitable health systems capable of withstanding climate impacts, citing risks such as shifting disease patterns and the resurgence of previously contained diseases.
He highlighted the alarming statistics from the World Health Organization, including the annual toll of over seven million deaths due to air pollution and the spread of vector-borne diseases like malaria linked to rising temperatures.
Cop28’s Health Day, scheduled for December 3, will address the vulnerability of global public health systems exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the urgent need for transformative changes to adapt to climate change.
Dr. Al Jaber also called for increased concessional funds to the Global South to lower risks and attract private capital, along with a doubling of adaptation finance by governments by 2025 and generous contributions to replenish the Green Climate Fund. Cop28 is set to tackle these pressing issues when it convenes in Dubai’s Expo City from November 30.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.