Guardian: Declare climate crisis a global public health emergency, experts tell WHO

.. Or millions will die unnecessarily, according to a report issued on Saturday by the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health. From The Guardian report:

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.

And, notably:

The commission also urged governments to stop subsidising fossil fuels, which are directly responsible for 600,000 premature deaths a year in Europe alone. The region spends about €444bn (£387bn) a year on subsidies for oil and gas production, the report said. In 12 European countries, fossil fuel subsidies exceeded 10% of national health expenditure in 2023 and in four exceeded the entire health budget, the report observed.

From the WHO press release:

The commission’s report drew up 17 recommendations spanning four areas: treating climate change as a growing threat to health security, transforming health systems, scaling up local action, and reforming the economic and financial systems that are driving the climate crisis.

Download the Call to Action.