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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/16/who-should-declare-climate-crisis-global-public-health-emergency-experts-say>
"The climate crisis should be declared a global public health emergency by the
World Health Organization, or millions more people will die unnecessarily,
leading international experts have said.
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.
Pheics are the highest level of health alert. Previous declarations include
infectious diseases such as Covid and Mpox. While declaring one would not on
its own reverse climate change, it would trigger the kind of coordinated
international response that the scale of the health crisis demands but has not
yet materialised.
The 11-strong independent commission, which includes former health and climate
ministers, said: “Far from being a fading priority or fake news, climate change
poses an immediate and long-term threat to health, economic, food, water,
environmental, personal, community and national security.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
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mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
