By Destiny Obinna
Six proven climate and health interventions could save 1.6 million lives annually and generate $9.3 trillion in combined economic and fiscal benefits worldwide, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
The measures, ranging from heat-health warning systems and climate-resilient water and sanitation services to cleaner household energy and efficient fossil fuel pricing, could also help prevent 16.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
The WHO disclosed this in a new report, Global Benefits and Costs of Prioritized Actions on Climate Change and Health, released in Geneva on Wednesday, ahead of the COP31 climate negotiations.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said many of the health consequences of climate change could be prevented through affordable interventions already available.
“The climate crisis is a health crisis, but much of the harm it causes can be prevented with tools we already have,” Tedros said.
He added that scaling up proven measures could save millions of lives, particularly in countries with the greatest need.
According to the report, the six interventions could prevent 1.6 million deaths annually, equivalent to one in every 40 deaths based on modelled projections.
The measures include heat-health warning systems, climate-resilient drinking-water services, basic sanitation, hygiene and handwashing facilities, cleaner household fuels and technologies for cooking and heating, and efficient fossil fuel pricing policies.
The report estimated that the interventions could generate $3.9 trillion in annual economic welfare benefits and an additional $5.4 trillion in fiscal benefits.
It also found that every $1 invested in five of the six measures could yield $24 in benefits, with low- and middle-income countries expected to record greater returns, potentially narrowing health and economic inequalities.
Heat-health warning systems ranked among the most cost-effective interventions, with every $1 invested projected to generate $835 in benefits. The WHO attributed the high return to their ability to use existing systems to prevent heat-related illnesses at relatively low cost.
Efficient fossil fuel pricing policies, including removing inefficient subsidies and appropriately taxing fossil fuels, were projected to deliver the largest overall gains.
The report estimated that such policies could prevent 1.2 million deaths annually, generate $3 trillion in economic welfare benefits and deliver $5.4 trillion in fiscal benefits each year.
The six measures could also help avoid emissions equivalent to 31 per cent of global annual greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use, land-use change and forestry.
The WHO urged governments, development partners and financing institutions to invest in the interventions, stressing that climate-related health risks require coordinated action across health, water, sanitation, energy and fiscal policy.
As governments prepare their climate commitments for COP31, the organisation said protecting human health must be central to climate action, noting that the benefits extend beyond preventing illness and death to strengthening economies and reducing emissions.
