WHO Launches Global Strategy to Combat Air Pollution, Energy Poverty and Climate Crisis

The WHO says the new roadmap is intended to operationalize those commitments and ensure that governments move beyond declarations toward practical implementation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled a major global strategy aimed at placing health at the center of international climate action, warning that climate change, air pollution, and energy poverty are rapidly becoming some of the greatest threats to human health worldwide.

The newly released advocacy, communications, and partnerships plan titled "WHO at the heart of the health response to climate change, air pollution and energy poverty (2025–2028)" seeks to transform political commitments into coordinated global action over the next four years. The initiative is designed to strengthen partnerships, improve communication strategies, mobilize climate financing, and help governments integrate health priorities into climate policies.

The WHO emphasized that the health consequences of climate change are no longer future risks but an ongoing global emergency affecting millions of people through extreme heat, air pollution, food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and collapsing healthcare systems.

Climate Change Becoming a Major Public Health Emergency

The strategy follows decisions taken by Member States during the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly in May 2025, where countries adopted the Global Action Plan (GAP) on Climate Change and Health (2025–2028) in response to earlier WHO resolutions on climate change and air pollution.

The WHO says the new roadmap is intended to operationalize those commitments and ensure that governments move beyond declarations toward practical implementation.

According to the organization, climate change and environmental degradation are already intensifying:

• Heat-related illnesses and deaths

• Respiratory diseases

• Water-borne infections

• Malnutrition

• Mental health crises

• Displacement caused by extreme weather

The WHO stressed that climate policies can no longer be separated from public health strategies, as the two are deeply interconnected.

Seven Million Deaths Linked to Air Pollution Every Year

One of the most alarming findings highlighted in the strategy is the devastating impact of air pollution on global health.

The WHO estimates that more than seven million people die annually due to exposure to polluted air.

Air pollution is linked to:

• Heart disease

• Stroke

• Lung cancer

• Chronic respiratory illnesses

• Premature deaths

The burden falls disproportionately on low-income populations, children, the elderly, and people living in rapidly urbanizing regions with poor environmental regulations.

At the same time, healthcare systems themselves contribute significantly to environmental damage. According to the WHO, health systems are responsible for nearly five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

This means hospitals, healthcare supply chains, transportation systems, and medical infrastructure must also become more sustainable to reduce the sector's environmental footprint.

Health Sector Receives Minimal Climate Financing

Despite the growing health impacts of climate change, the WHO noted that only around 0.5 percent of multilateral climate finance currently goes toward projects specifically aimed at protecting or improving human health.

The organization argues that this funding gap represents one of the biggest obstacles to building climate-resilient health systems worldwide.

Many vulnerable countries lack the resources needed to:

• Upgrade hospitals for extreme weather events

• Improve disease surveillance systems

• Develop heat action plans

• Expand clean energy access

• Reduce pollution exposure

• Prepare for climate-related emergencies

The new WHO strategy aims to bridge this gap by helping governments and health institutions gain access to international climate finance mechanisms such as:

• The Green Climate Fund

• The Adaptation Fund

• Other multilateral climate financing programmes

WHO to Support Countries With Climate and Health Integration

The plan provides governments with practical tools and technical support to integrate health considerations into national climate policies.

These include:

• Ready-to-use advocacy messaging

• Technical guidance for climate negotiations

• Policy support for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

• Assistance with National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)

• Coordination across the United Nations system

The WHO believes that emphasizing the direct health benefits of climate action can help governments build stronger public support for environmental policies.

For example, reducing fossil fuel use not only lowers carbon emissions but also cuts air pollution, preventing millions of premature deaths and reducing healthcare costs.

Four Major Strategic Priorities Announced

The WHO strategy is built around four key strategic areas designed to strengthen global action on climate and health.

1. Strengthening WHO's Leadership Role

The organization plans to consolidate its global leadership in climate change, energy, air quality, and health through initiatives such as:

• The Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH)

• The WHO–World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Joint Office for Climate and Health

• New guidance on integrating health into climate policies

2. Expanding Awareness and Public Advocacy

The WHO aims to build greater awareness across climate, health, and energy sectors through evidence-based communication campaigns.

This includes:

• The new WHO–WMO Climate Communications Hub

• Public health campaigns like Beat the Heat

• Outreach programmes targeting policymakers and communities

3. Building Multi-Sector Partnerships

The strategy emphasizes stronger collaboration between health authorities and sectors such as:

• Finance

• Energy

• Urban planning

• Humanitarian agencies

• Security institutions

• Academic organizations

• Civil society groups

The WHO argues that climate-related health risks cannot be solved by health ministries alone and require coordinated action across multiple sectors.

4. Making Health Systems Climate-Resilient

The organization also plans to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of healthcare systems globally.

A major target includes achieving a net-zero WHO Secretariat by 2030 while supporting countries implementing the Operational Framework for Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Health Systems.

This includes efforts to:

• Reduce emissions from healthcare systems

• Improve renewable energy use in hospitals

• Build climate-resilient medical infrastructure

• Ensure healthcare services remain functional during extreme weather events

WHO Officials Stress Urgent Need for Action

Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Head of the Climate Change, Energy, and Air Quality Unit at WHO Headquarters, said the world already possesses effective solutions capable of tackling the climate crisis while simultaneously improving public health and saving money.

He emphasized that one of the biggest challenges is ensuring accurate and evidence-based information reaches policymakers and communities where it can drive meaningful change.

Estelle Willie, Director of Health Policy and Communications at The Rockefeller Foundation, described the strategy as a mechanism for translating government commitments into measurable results.

She said the WHO will help unite countries and partners behind a shared global agenda focused on health, clean air, and sustainable energy policies.

Extreme Weather Straining Health Systems Worldwide

Dr Vanessa Kerry, WHO Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health and CEO of Seed Global Health, highlighted the increasing strain extreme weather events are placing on healthcare systems worldwide.

She noted that climate and health issues often remain isolated from broader policy and financial decisions despite being deeply interconnected.

Kerry stressed that health outcomes are influenced by:

• Housing

• Energy access

• Transportation systems

• Food systems

• Working conditions

• Urban infrastructure

The WHO strategy therefore seeks to align climate action with broader social and economic policies to strengthen resilience and protect communities.

Broad Global Partnerships to Drive Implementation

The success of the plan will depend heavily on partnerships across governments, civil society, research institutions, and international organizations.

The WHO confirmed it will continue working with:

• ATACH

• WHO-WMO Joint Office

• UN agencies

• Climate finance institutions

• The Lancet Countdown research initiative

• Global Climate and Health Alliance

• City networks

• Academic institutions

• Health professional associations

The organization called on governments, healthcare workers, researchers, and civil society groups worldwide to actively engage with the strategy and support its implementation over the next four years.

Health Positioned as Central to Climate Action

The WHO concluded that protecting human health must become a central objective of global climate policies rather than a secondary consideration.

By integrating health into decisions on energy, transport, urban development, and environmental policy, the organization believes countries can simultaneously:

• Save lives

• Reduce healthcare costs

• Strengthen resilience

• Improve air quality

• Advance sustainable development

The strategy represents one of the WHO's most comprehensive efforts yet to frame climate action as a public health imperative with immediate benefits for people and communities worldwide.