According to scientists from around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) should declare the climate and nature crisis a health emergency. More than 200 scientific journals simultaneously published a call to do this before the next World Health Assembly in spring 2024. These include renowned magazines such as “The Lancet” and “The British Medical Journal” (“BMJ”).
It is a dangerous mistake to view the climate and nature crises separately, the call says. “The climate crisis and biodiversity loss are both damaging human health, and they are linked,” said BMJ editor-in-chief Kamran Abbasi. “That’s why we need to look at it together and declare a global health emergency. “Health experts (…) have a central role to play in conveying this important message and in advocating for politicians to recognize and urgently address the global health emergency Take action.”
Climate change contributes, among other things, to the spread of contagious diseases through rising temperatures and extreme weather. Environmental pollution is damaging drinking water sources, and ocean acidification is making fish more rare for consumption. The decline in biodiversity makes it more difficult to feed humanity healthily. More settlement and agricultural construction as well as the advance into previously natural areas are bringing people into closer contact with tens of thousands of species. This increases the risk that diseases or parasites will be passed on to humans.
Declaring a public health emergency is the highest alert level the WHO can impose. She did this, for example, with the corona pandemic. This calls on all member states to exchange information and do everything they can to get the problem under control. Declaring a state of emergency has no concrete impact. The WHO cannot dictate what measures any country should take. The countries decide on this for themselves.
Politicians must open their eyes to the threat to health posed by the climate and nature crises, the current call goes on to say. They must realize how much eliminating the crises could contribute to public health.
