The 2023 UN COP28 (United Nations Climate Change Conference) is now focusing its discussions on climate change's contagious effects on human health.
During the first two days of the international climate conference, which took place in Dubai, top leaders shared their concerns about the adverse health effects of climate change.
One of the topics they talked about was the 7 million deaths globally linked to air pollution. They also discussed the spread of malaria, cholera, and other diseases because of the now-unpredictable weather system.
The question is, why is the UN suddenly discussing the health effects of climate change? Here's what a top WHO official explained.
2023 UN COP28 Now Discussing Climate Change's Human Health Effects
According to Local10's latest report, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explained they are suddenly discussing the negative health effects of climate change.
He said that it is the best time for the UN COP28 to hold its first Health Day, especially since the contagious health effects posed by climate change were immediate and present.
"Although the climate crisis is a health crisis, it's well overdue that 27 COPs have been and gone without a serious discussion of health," said the top WHO official via the Associated Press.
"Undoubtedly, health stands as the most compelling reason for taking climate action," he added.
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry also said it took the United Nations long enough to finally make climate change's linkage to health issues its centerpiece discussion.
He explained that the human body is similar to Earth since they are both ecosystems. Kerry further stated that if humans poison the water, land, and air, they are also poisoning their own bodies.
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COP28's Declaration Supported by Hundreds of Countries
The declaration of the UN COP28 regarding climate change's linkage to health issues was backed by over 120 countries. However, the United Nations didn't clarify if it will make efforts to phase out fossil fuels.
Instead, COP28 leaders said they would make drastic efforts to reduce the healthcare sector pollution, which accounts for 5% of global emissions.
WHO's climate and health head, Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum said that the worsening high temperature across the globe is already putting great pressure on human bodies since it leads to higher rates of infectious disease.
