Protecting Public Health from Climate Change: A Global Call to Action

A statement issued by the Global Climate and Health Alliance on December 4, 2011, during the UNFCCC's 17th Conference of the Parties in Durban, South Africa. The document calls upon public health organizations, professionals, and ministries to take concerted action to protect public health from the threats of climate change.

• The document identifies climate change as the most significant global health threat of the 21st century, citing The Lancet. It notes that impacts such as heat waves, droughts, extreme weather events, and the spread of vector-borne diseases are already occurring globally, with the highest mortality rates occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Rising greenhouse gas emissions are expected to worsen existing health crises and increase the global burden of disease, which will subsequently increase healthcare costs and overwhelm public health infrastructure. The most severe impact is expected for vulnerable populations in poor countries who contributed the least to emissions.
• The Alliance commits to several specific actions: providing leadership on the climate and health agenda; informing health professionals, patients, and governments about risks and benefits; reducing the carbon footprint of health institutions through energy efficiency and clean energy; and increasing the resilience of health systems to natural disasters and shifting disease burdens.
• The statement advocates for a binding global agreement that prioritizes human health, implements a fair shares framework for emissions reduction based on equity, promotes clean energy to reduce pollution, and provides resources for the Green Fund and other mitigation and adaptation funding.

APA

ostyx (2011). Protecting Public Health from Climate Change: A Global Call to Action. Global Climate and Health Alliance. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/news/protecting-public-health-from-climate-change-a-global-call-to-action/

Chicago

ostyx. Protecting Public Health from Climate Change: A Global Call to Action. Global Climate and Health Alliance, 2011. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/news/protecting-public-health-from-climate-change-a-global-call-to-action/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=ostyx |title=Protecting Public Health from Climate Change: A Global Call to Action |publisher=Global Climate and Health Alliance |date=4 December 2011 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/news/protecting-public-health-from-climate-change-a-global-call-to-action/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{ostyx2011protecting, author = {ostyx}, title = {{Protecting Public Health from Climate Change: A Global Call to Action}}, publisher = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2011}, month = dec, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/news/protecting-public-health-from-climate-change-a-global-call-to-action/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }