These collaborations are already tackling climate-driven health risks but more can be done to find solutions

As we take stock of the outcome of the 29^th UN Conference of the Parties (COP) last November, the relevance of public health to climate change action is clearer than ever. Climate-driven health issues are destabilizing communities worldwide and affecting every sector of the global economy, with vulnerable populations bearing the greatest burden.

A day wasn't dedicated to discussing climate-driven health issues during the COP29 programme, but the importance of health was firmly acknowledged with the establishment of the Baku COP Presidencies Continuity Coalition for Climate and Health. This agreement underscores a commitment to elevate health on the climate agenda, cementing it as a crucial component of climate action.

The Continuity Coalition comes at a crucial time. The past year has seen a cascade of extreme weather events with severe health consequences. A record drought continues to affect the Horn of Africa, while hurricanes have battered North America and floods have devastated parts of Spain.

“Climate change is not a distant threat, but an immediate risk to health,” warned Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, upon publication of the Lancet Countdown 2024 Report in October.

The report showed that 48% of the earth’s land area saw at least a month of drought in 2023, pushing 151 million more people into risk of malnutrition. Hotter conditions have also proliferated wildfires and dust storms, with a 31% increase in the number of people exposed to dangerous particulate pollution from 2018 to 2022 versus 2003 to 2007. Meanwhile, vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, once confined to certain regions, are expanding their reach as the planet warms.

Until now, much of the burden of climate-driven health issues has been borne by the healthcare sector. And the focus has been on cure rather than prevention, with healthcare facilities increasingly geared to treat heat stress or vector-borne disease, for example.

But the magnitude and complexity of the health threats caused by climate change mean that they can only be effectively tackled with active participation across sectors and industries. Alarmingly, a World Economic Forum analysis has warned of $12.5 trillion in global economic losses from climate-related health hazards by 2050. So, taking action would not only protect people’s health, it would also safeguard crucial business interests and, by extension, the global economy.

Some sectors are more vulnerable to climate-driven health issues than others. Where operations are labour-intensive, like in agriculture and construction, risks are higher due to the productivity loss caused by weather events such as heat waves. Meanwhile, the capacity to deliver healthcare services and insurance is increasingly strained in the face of surging demand and increased costs.

These sectors are uniquely placed to work against these risks, however, by implementing effective interventions for adaptation and resilience. This could include climate-resistant crops, heat-resistant buildings, preventive therapies and adapted insurance products. Private-sector actors have the potential to protect people's health from the effects of climate change – and when they work together across sectors, their actions multiply in impact.

Reinsurer Swiss Re's collaboration with nonprofit Climate Resilience for All to develop the Women’s Climate Shock and Insurance and Livelihoods Initiative for extreme heat is one example of private-nonprofit sector collaboration. The venture provides wage guarantees to informally employed women in India to cover lost work hours during unsafe temperatures.

Similarly, the US-based healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente collaborates with the environmental campaign group California Environmental Justice Network to provide protective equipment and training to farmworkers facing extreme heat. This not only safeguards their health, it also ensures productivity is not hampered by heatwaves, which enhances economic stability and food security.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical company Novartis has committed $250 million over five years from 2021 to 2025 to advance research and development of new treatments to combat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and malaria. This is a direct response to multilateral calls such as the WHO’s NTD Roadmap.

A World Economic Forum report on the life science sector’s role in climate adaptation, due for release in January 2025, calculates that investing in vaccines, medicines, medical devices, health-tech and health systems could save 6.5 million lives, cut global economic losses by $5.9 trillion and ensure one billion fewer disability-adjusted life years.

Mobilizing stakeholders across sectors to address climate-driven health issues is crucial. The World Economic Forum is collaborating with Boston Consulting Group and the US National Academy of Medicine to explore how health outcomes are experienced across different economic, social and environmental elements. The initiative will look for opportunities to engage in cross-sector solutions to protect workforce and public health.

Public-private sector collaboration on this issue recognizes the interconnectedness of public health, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity.