The climate crisis should be declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization , or millions more people will die unnecessarily, leading international experts have said.
The independent pan-European commission on climate and health , which was convened by the WHO, concluded the climate crisis was such a worldwide threat to health that the WHO should declare it “a public health emergency of international concern ” (Pheic).
The international spread of vector-borne disease, such as dengue and chikungunya, as well as the health impacts of extreme weather events, global heating, food insecurity and air pollution make a Pheic necessary, said the commission’s report, which will be presented to European ministers on Sunday before the WHO’s world health assembly starts on Monday.