Researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) have called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare the climate crisis a public health emergency of international concern. In a letter published in the Lancet, they argue that a globally co-ordinated response is needed to protect people from the harmful health effects of rising temperatures and extreme weather events. This call to action comes as the world faces increasing health risks due to climate change.
The health impacts of climate change are far-reaching and devastating. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events are expected to cause an extra 451,000 deaths between June 2026 and February 2027 due to extreme heat caused by this year’s record-breaking El Niño. According to Wits Planetary Health Research clinical researcher Nicholas Brink, if this number was an infectious disease, it would be clear that this warrants a declaration of a public health emergency.
The Wits researchers argue that the scale of the threat requires a globally co-ordinated response akin to that mobilised during the Covid-19 pandemic. They believe that a declaration of a public health emergency would ensure a sustained focus on the climate crisis, which is often low on the agenda for politicians and communities facing other urgent problems. This, in turn, would help mobilise resources, step up surveillance, and prioritise care for affected populations.
Certain populations are particularly vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change, including pregnant women, children, people living with chronic conditions, and the elderly. The health impacts of climate change include heat-related illness and deaths, infectious disease outbreaks, food and water insecurity, and mental health conditions triggered by extreme weather. Acute weather events are already occurring, and the global health infrastructure is “ill-prepared and underresourced” to meet the challenge.
A declaration of a public health emergency would complement the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change process by placing health firmly at the centre of the global response. According to Wits PHR executive director Matthew Chersich, catalysing a public health response to the climate crisis would help mobilise resources and prioritise care for affected populations. This, in turn, would help reduce the health impacts of climate change.
The Wits researchers are not alone in their call to action. Anton Cartwright, associate economist at UCT’s African Centre for Cities, notes that the climate crisis brings climate change through the front door of every household, whether through heat stress, new diseases, anxiety and mental health, or malnutrition and water stress. He believes that a declaration of a public health emergency could complement ongoing efforts to reduce emissions and cope with the impacts of the changes already under way.
Ultimately, the Wits researchers hope that a declaration of a public health emergency will galvanise a response to the climate crisis and mobilise resources to address the health impacts of climate change. As the multilateral effort to address climate change stutters, countries will have to prepare and budget for multiple novel costs and emergencies. By placing health at the centre of the global response, the Wits researchers believe that we can reduce the health impacts of climate change and protect vulnerable populations.
Key points
- Wits researchers call on WHO to declare climate crisis a public health emergency of international concern.
- Climate crisis expected to cause an extra 451,000 deaths between June 2026 and February 2027 due to extreme heat.
- Declaration of public health emergency could mobilise resources and galvanise response to climate crisis.
