"Don't tell me there's no hope at all - together we stand, divided we fall".
Delegates and civil society at a high-level side event of the 79th World Health Assembly heard these Pink Floyd lyrics from Dr Mariângela Simão, Vice-Minister for Environmental Health Surveillance of Brazil, who used them to underscore what many speakers reiterated throughout the session: partnerships are critical in these trying times.
On 18 May 2026, Brazil and Türkiye co-organized a high-level side event with the sponsorship from the United Arab Emirates to advance the Belém Health Action Plan (BHAP) and strengthen continuity of the climate and health agenda across COP presidencies. Moderated by Dr Maria Neira, ATACH Global Champion, the session convened ministers and senior officials from eight countries, including Brazil, Türkiye, Australia, the United Kingdom, Egypt, the UAE, Azerbaijan, France, alongside WHO leadership.
The BHAP, launched at COP30 in Belém, is now endorsed by 33 countries and supported by 50 organizations. Grounded in three pillars - health equity, climate justice, and social participation, it sets out a roadmap for adapting health systems to a changing climate. Brazil's Minister of Health, Dr Alexandre Padilha, opened by calling for a shift from the era of declarations to the era of implementation, citing Brazil's own AdaptaSUS plan, which invests across infrastructure, research, AI-integrated service data, early warning systems, and workforce capacity.
A landmark announcement came from Türkiye Dr Aziz Alper Biten, Director-General for EU and Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Health, confirmed that for the first time in COP history, "dynamic and resilient health systems" has been formally included as one of the priority items on the COP31 action agenda. Türkiye, an ATACH member and new co-convener, also committed to continuing the Health Day initiative at COP31 in Antalya.
Professor Zoe Wainer, Director-General of Australia's Centre for Disease Control and representing the COP31 Presidency of Negotiations, set out Australia's contributions, including its first National Health and Climate Strategy, the Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, and the international collaboration on decarbonising healthcare supply chains launched with the UK in 2024. Australia also confirmed Fiji as host of Pre-COP in October 2026, with Pacific priorities (1.5°C, access to finance, and climate action) central to COP31 ambitions.
Dr Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General, Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care, WHO, called on those present to harness the influence and agency within the room to help drive meaningful change. He urged the climate-health community to bring abstract long-term framings back to what climate change means for people's daily lives, where health is the most powerful entry point. He confirmed that climate and health sit as the first priority in WHO's General Programme of Work 14, and welcomed the publication of the advocacy, communications and partnerships plan " WHO at the heart of the health response to climate change, air pollution and energy poverty (2025–2028) ", developed by WHO with the support of the Rockefeller Foundation.
The Baku Continuity Coalition roundtable, structured in reverse chronological order from COP30 back to COP26, traced the health-climate agenda across recent COP presidencies. Silvia Llosa, representing the UK and COP26, pointed to the Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services programme in Nigeria, which is scaling from 39 to 11,000 primary healthcare facilities through World Bank engagement, as proof of how targeted investments can be piloted, proven, and scaled. Egypt's Dr Amr Kandil presented the country's Strategic Framework for Health Adaptation to Climate Change, the One Health National Strategy, and the National Food and Nutrition Strategy. UAE and Azerbaijan reflected on the foundational role of COP28's first Health Day (with the COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health signed by 148 countries) and COP29's continued elevation of health within negotiations.
Dr. Stéphanie Rist, France's Minister of Health, confirmed that on 25 June the President of France, together with WHO and ATACH , will reinforce political commitments on resilient health systems, building on the One Health Summit which was held in Lyon, 7 April 2026. Dr Saia Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, launched the Climate and Health Co-Benefits Challenge for the Western Pacific, framing the moment surgically, that the time to operate has come.
In closing remarks, Dr Vanessa Kerry, WHO Director-General's Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health, called on more countries to endorse the BHAP and stressed that the climate-health agenda must reach beyond the health sector, into cities, jobs, and heads of state. Dr Naveen Rao of the Rockefeller Foundation called for a proactive public health playbook, backed by the Climate and Health Funders Coalition's 22 philanthropic members.
Looking ahead, momentum builds through London Climate Action Week and the ATACH high-level meeting in late June, the Bonn Climate Change Conference, and on to COP31 in Antalya, where health, for the first time, will sit formally on the action agenda.
