‘The climate crisis is a health crisis’ – PAHO chief

Nov 14, 2025 News

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…urges bold action as Belem Health Plan launches at COP30

Belém, Brazil — The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, has issued a rallying call to world leaders, urging them to transform climate commitments into action through the newly launched Belem Action Plan for the Adaptation of the Health Sector to Climate Change.

Speaking at the opening of Health Day at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Dr. Barbosa called on Ministers of Health to integrate the Belem Plan into their national climate strategies, emphasizing that the initiative provides a concrete roadmap toward resilient, low-emission, and equitable health systems.  “The climate crisis is, fundamentally, a health crisis,” Dr. Barbosa warned. “The countries and communities most vulnerable will bear the heaviest burdens of climate change.”

“Today, I call on Ministers of Health to endorse and integrate the Belem Health Action Plan into their national climate strategies,” the Director of PAHO said in a speech kicking off the Health Day at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), taking place from November 10 to 21 in Belém, Brazil. He also called on “development partners and finance institutions to help close resource gaps and build health system resilience.”

Dr. Barbosa stressed that the COP30’s Amazon forest setting “reminds us of the urgency of climate action and the imperative of health equity.” For this reason, the PAHO Director also called on “civil society and local communities to participate in decision-making, and on policymakers to ensure that equity and the voices of marginalized groups and indigenous peoples guide our response.”

The PAHO Director pointed out that implementing the plan’s three pillars—surveillance and monitoring; evidence-based policy and capacity building; and innovation and production—will give the Region of the Americas “a framework to strengthen health systems and build resilience.”

For this reason, Dr. Barbosa considered the Belém Action Plan a roadmap “to protect lives and promote equity in a changing climate.” The Belem Health Action Plan was developed with technical support from PAHO and is aligned with the Policy for Strengthening Equity-Oriented Health Sector Action on Climate Change and Health, an initiative approved by PAHO Member States in 2024. Leadership from the Americas

The PAHO Director emphasised the leadership shown by countries across the Americas in implementing a wide range of climate- and health-related measures. Dr. Barbosa cited PAHO’s support for “integrated health surveillance platforms in cities like Rio de Janeiro to forecast extreme heat and air quality events” and the expansion of the Smart Hospitals Initiative “to ensure continuity of care during emergencies.”  He also noted the organization’s work in “coordinating technical cooperation and fostering capacity building to strengthen climate and health governance.”

Dr. Barbosa referred to the tangible effects of climate change already impacting the Region: “We are not talking anymore about distant or possible threats.” He pointed out that in 2024, the Americas experienced the warmest year on record, heat-related deaths have risen by 23% since the 1990s, now averaging 546,000 per year. In 2024 alone, 154,000 people in the Region died from exposure to wildfire smoke. The Region also suffered the largest dengue outbreak in history, and “just weeks ago, Hurricane Melissa reminded us why health adaptation can save lives”, he said.

This situation, Dr. Barbosa concluded, “demands a response that is bold, coordinated, and rooted in justice. The Belem Health Action Plan, which was launched today, is a key step in that direction.” The PAHO Director reaffirmed the organization’s commitment “to support every country, across the Americas and around the globe, in turning commitments into action: building a future where health systems withstand climate shocks, climate action safeguards lives, and equity guides every step of our response.”

Health systems resilience

The work of PAHO’s Member States focuses on generating evidence and early-warning systems for climate-sensitive diseases, strengthening the health workforce, upgrading health care facilities to become low-carbon and climate-resilient, implementing interventions to protect health and to deliver equitable, clean, healthy and sustainable environments for communities; and preparing health-focused climate investment plans.

The PAHO Smart Hospitals program is a pioneering initiative aimed at upgrading health facilities to withstand disasters with green technologies and operational improvements. This initiative has improved hospital resilience in over 70 health facilities in seven countries in the Caribbean.

The sites that have been retrofitted with Smart solutions in energy and water usage have seen between 30-60% in operational cost savings. When Hurricane Melissa recently devastated parts of the Caribbean, the PAHO-supported Smart Hospitals in Jamaica remained operational, providing life-saving care when other facilities and infrastructure failed.

PAHO also supports multi-tiered strategies at subregional, national, and local levels. This includes the Caribbean and the Andean Action Plans on Health and Climate Change, 15 Health National Adaptation Plans, 285 climate-resilient water and sanitation safety plans benefiting more than 85 million people across the Region, and collaboration with 74 cities and metropolitan areas to assess the health impacts of air pollution.

The Healthy Municipalities, Cities and Communities (HMCC) Movement, now affiliates more than 4,000 municipalities advancing health, well-being and environmental policies through intersectoral and participatory approaches.

Working with partners, PAHO has trained over 12,000 health professionals to improve their ability to anticipate the health effects of climate change, deliver more effective care, and proactively prepare health services for climate-related events. The expansion of emergency preparedness training for health workers and leaders is critical.

Despite growing awareness, less than 1% of global climate finance is currently allocated to health system resilience, leaving much work to be done to protect communities from climate events.

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• climate change, COP30, Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO

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