Published in the May WHO Bulletin, the article emphasises the health sector’s role in climate change and calls for integrating mitigation and adaptation measures into health financing policies.
The health sector significantly contributes to climate change, responsible for approximately 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 due to energy-intensive production, transportation of medical supplies, and energy consumption within health facilities. Conversely, climate change exacerbates health issues by increasing the incidence of vector-borne and waterborne diseases, and causing extreme weather events, which elevate health-care needs and out-of-pocket expenses. The World Health Organization (WHO) projects additional direct costs for the health sector to reach $2–4 billion annually by 2030. To address these challenges, health financing policies must integrate mitigation measures to reduce emissions and adaptation measures to enhance health system resilience.
This article, aimed at health financing policymakers, explores policy options for incorporating climate considerations into health financing, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and underscores the importance of aligning these measures with broader government actions to effectively tackle climate change and its health impacts.
