The Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing

The Doha Declaration, issued by the Global Climate and Health Alliance, asserts that health should be a primary driver for climate mitigation and adaptation. It highlights that climate change threatens health through extreme weather, food and water insecurity, and infectious diseases, while noting that transitioning to low-carbon energy systems and active transport can save millions of lives and improve air quality. The document calls for the full evaluation of health co-benefits in climate decisions, the cessation of global fossil fuel subsidies, increased funding for health protection in vulnerable countries, and the active inclusion of the health sector in designing climate strategies.

• Climate change impacts human health through both direct channels, such as infectious diseases and extreme weather, and indirect channels, including migration, conflict, and economic instability. These risks disproportionately affect women, children, poorer populations, and those in developing nations.
• Climate mitigation efforts provide significant health co-benefits; specifically, reducing fossil fuel use improves air quality and shifting to low-carbon energy systems can save millions of lives annually. Additionally, increasing public transport and active lifestyles improves health via reduced pollution and increased physical activity.
• The declaration demands that health impacts and co-benefits be fully costed and reflected in all climate decisions, and that assessments of climate-related loss and damage include impacts on community resilience, wellbeing, and healthcare infrastructure.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (n.d.). The Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Doha-Declaration-on-Climate-Health-and-Wellbeing.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. The Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing. n.d. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Doha-Declaration-on-Climate-Health-and-Wellbeing.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=The Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Doha-Declaration-on-Climate-Health-and-Wellbeing.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalclimateandhealthalliancenddoha, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{The Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing}}, publisher = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Doha-Declaration-on-Climate-Health-and-Wellbeing.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }