This is according to a new report released on Friday at COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
The special report on health and climate change, published by the United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Brazilian Government, warns that one in 12 hospitals could face climate-related shutdowns.
It calls for urgent action to protect health systems in a rapidly warming world. The report follows the launch of the Belém Health Action Plan, a flagship COP30 initiative placing health at the centre of climate policy.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “The climate crisis is a health crisis – not in the distant future, but here and now. This special report provides evidence on the impact of climate change on individuals and health systems, and real-world examples of what countries can do, and are doing, to protect health and strengthen health systems.”
The report notes that global temperatures have already surpassed 1.5°C, with 3.3 to 3.6 billion people living in areas highly vulnerable to climate impacts. Hospitals face a 41% higher risk of damage from extreme weather compared to 1990, and without rapid decarbonisation, the number of health facilities at risk could double by mid-century. The health sector itself contributes around 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the urgent need for low-carbon, climate-resilient systems.
Key gaps in health adaptation planning remain stark: only 54% of national health plans assess risks to health facilities, fewer than 30% consider income disparities, 20% take gender into account, and less than 1% include people with disabilities.
Although the number of countries with multi-hazard early warning systems has doubled between 2015 and 2023, coverage remains uneven, particularly in least developed countries and small island states.
Adding momentum, a coalition of over 35 philanthropies pledged $300 million to accelerate solutions at the intersection of climate and health. The Climate and Health Funders Coalition, including Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Gates Foundation, IKEA Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Wellcome, will back innovations, policies, and research addressing extreme heat, air pollution, climate-sensitive diseases, and health system resilience.
The coalition’s inaugural funding supports the Belém Health Action Plan and aims to deliver “no-regret” interventions that save lives now. Experts warn that failure to act amid rising temperatures risks catastrophic consequences for human health.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
