WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus: The climate crisis is a health crisis
At the COP31 Climate Summit held in Antalya, a new initiative aimed at international cooperation against the health impacts of climate change was introduced as part of 'Health Day'.
During 'Health Day' at the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), hosted by Turkey in Antalya, Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the 'Antalya Resilient Health Systems Initiative' to the public.
Speaking at a joint press conference held in the Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi Hall in the Blue Zone, Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu announced that they have developed the '2026-2030 Climate Change and Health Action Plan' in line with Turkey's 2053 net-zero emission target. Minister Memişoğlu stated that they treat the fight against climate change as a state policy and expressed that the new initiative aims to transform the knowledge and experience of countries into a permanent cooperation.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the climate crisis is also a health crisis, noting that health systems must be prepared for shocks such as extreme heat, floods, and droughts. Ghebreyesus noted that the Antalya Initiative is complementary to the existing ATACH program and that it could create a model that can be carried to future COP summits by allowing countries to share their successes and shortcomings.