COP29 - MSF calls for meaningful climate action to protect the health of the most vulnerable
The climate crisis has a devastating and increasing toll on people’s health. MSF medical teams are responding to health and humanitarian situations linked to the changing climate in multiple locations across the world.
The real cost of the climate crisis is paid by the world’s most vulnerable people - the ones we see in our waiting rooms. They are paying with their health and their lives for a problem they did not create.
But far too little is being done to protect them.
We therefore call to the parties of the UNFCCC to deliver at #COP29.
We need to see meaningful action to protect the health of the most vulnerable:
- Climate action that equals the scale of the climate emergency and that includes solutions to safeguard health.
- Real commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which cause massive health problems worldwide.
- Concrete financial and technical support that reaches the people who suffer the heaviest impacts of climate change.
The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change - Report
MSF's recent report with the Lancet contains many operational examples of the impact of climate change on healthcare.
Key messages and chapter summaries:
Chapter 1: Mitigating our impact - how can we reduce our environmental footprint
- Expanding its definition of the medical and humanitarian ‘Do No Harm’ principle to integrate environmental degradation, MSF set an ambitious course in 2021 by committing to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030.
Operational examples:
- Report: Carbon footprints of two research studies in two contexts
- Online: PACEMAKER, guidance tool – provides knowledge and options for logs
- Online: 3D Printing for All – recycling plastic bottles to create non-critical medical items (decision making also important aspect)
- Online: Rethinking Single-Use Items project - transitioning from disposable to reusable items
Chapter 2: Adaptation – ensuring flexibility of our interventions with climate-informed health care
- Current efforts to adapt to the current and future impacts of climate change remain reactive in health and humanitarian programs, as well as the contexts in which they work.
Operational examples:
- Report: HIV services in Mozambique halted during and after cyclone, process they went through to adapt to restart services
- Online: South Sudan team intending to implement a vaccination campaign, transitioned to decentralised malaria response
Chapter 3: Adaptation – early warning systems of climate threats
- There is significant global attention on enhancing early warning systems, yet there is a lack of early warning knowledge products, especially those focused on health outcomes.
Operational examples:
- Report: Seasonal Outlooks – product that review forecasts for the upcoming season and inform on potential impacts to human health, the environment, nutrition, agriculture and pests
Chapter 4: Adaptation – recognising vulnerability in populations and systems
- Climate-health risk and vulnerability assessments are crucial for identifying health impacts from climate change, those most vulnerable to them, and determining intervention priorities.
Operational examples:
- Report: MSF and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre co-developed a tool to assess subnational climate, environmental, and health risks in countries of operation now and for the future.
Chapter 5: Adaptation – tracking climate and environmental trends to tackle health threats
- Effective monitoring in humanitarian contexts is often complicated by many factors, including data availability, inconsistencies in data collection methods across health and environmental agencies, and challenges in integrating these data.
Operational examples:
1. Online: Malaria Anticipation Project - uses machine learning models to predict the timing and intensity of potential malaria peaks
Chapter 6: Notable gaps identified in WHO and IPCC reports
- Research on the health impacts of climate and environmental change, particularly in low-resource and humanitarian contexts, remains inadequate for effective adaptation efforts.