The WHO and the Brazilian Government have released a new special report warning that the climate crisis is already putting global health systems under severe strain. The report reveals that one in 12 hospitals could face climate-related shutdowns, highlighting the urgent need for governments to strengthen health systems as extreme weather becomes more frequent and more intense. The publication follows the launch of the Belém Health Action Plan at COP30, which aims to bring health to the forefront of global climate policy.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the climate crisis is a current and escalating health emergency. The report presents evidence showing how rising temperatures are affecting both individuals and health infrastructure, while also showcasing examples of countries already working to adapt and protect their populations.
According to the report, global temperatures now exceed 1.5°C, putting 3.3 to 3.6 billion people in highly vulnerable regions. Hospitals today are 41 percent more likely to experience damage from extreme weather than they were in 1990. Without rapid decarbonization efforts, the number of health facilities at risk could double by mid-century. Meanwhile, the health sector contributes nearly 5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, illustrating the need for low-carbon, climate-resilient health systems.
Major gaps remain in health adaptation planning. Just over half of national plans assess risks to health facilities, and fewer than 30 percent consider income disparities. Only 20 percent include gender considerations, and less than 1 percent take people with disabilities into account. Although the number of countries using multi-hazard early warning systems has doubled since 2015, coverage is still uneven, particularly in least developed countries and small island states.
In response to these challenges, more than 35 philanthropies have pledged $300 million to rapidly accelerate climate and health solutions. Through the Climate and Health Funders Coalition, organizations such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Gates Foundation, IKEA Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome will support innovation, research and policy development focused on extreme heat, air pollution and climate-sensitive diseases, while strengthening health systems and improving data integration. Their inaugural effort will help implement the Belém Health Action Plan and support interventions that can immediately save lives.
COP30 health envoy Ethel Maciel underscored the urgency of preparing health systems for intensifying climate impacts. Drawing on recent examples from Brazil, including record flooding and the country’s largest dengue outbreak linked to climate shifts, she stressed that adaptation is no longer optional. The plan she helped design focuses on monitoring and integrating climate-health data, strengthening resilience and workforce capacity, and driving research and innovation to develop climate-ready medical technologies and cleaner health supply chains.
Maciel warned that effective implementation is especially crucial in the Amazon, where deforestation may expose communities to new, poorly understood pathogens. She urged global leaders to ensure that the Belém Health Action Plan translates into real action rather than remaining a symbolic statement.
UN News continues to report from Belém, providing on-the-ground coverage of COP30 developments.
