Hailed by Brazil as "a crucial moment to demonstrate the strength of the health sector in global climate action," a blueprint for global health systems to adapt to rising temperatures and extreme weather has been launched at the COP30 UN climate conference .
As climate negotiations continue in the Amazonian city of Belém, Brazil, governments, UN agencies and partners have adopted the Belém Health Action Plan , placing an emphasis on addressing healthcare inequalities.
For updates on all the action and UN News coverage so far, head to our dedicated page here .
A planet heading to 'intensive care'
The adoption took place on COP's designated Health Day - a recognition that the climate crisis is also a health crisis.
"If our planet were a patient, it would be admitted to intensive care," World Health Organization ( WHO ) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on the eve of the conference.
Extreme heat, floods, droughts and storms are not only environmental threats -they are driving disease outbreaks, food and water insecurity, and the disruption of essential health services.
Blueprint for resilience
Developed by the WHO, UN University (UNU) and other UN partners in collaboration with the Brazilian Government, the Action Plan sets out practical steps to integrate health into climate strategies
- Strengthening health systems to withstand climate shocks
- Mobilising finance and technology for adaptation and
- Ensuring communities have a voice, promoting their participation in governance.
Brazil's Health Minister Alexandre Padilha described the launch as "a crucial moment to demonstrate the strength of the health sector in global climate action"
Solutions hub
Thursday's high-level sessions in the main conference rooms are dominated by speeches and discussions about climate and health - but throughout COP30, the WHO-led Health Pavilion has been the hub for solutions and dialogue.
The topics covered at the pavilion range from AI to waste management, jobs, education and human rights - all from the perspective of health.
Friday in the pavilion will be dedicated to the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health , a WHO-led initiative to accelerate the transition to climate-resilient and low carbon health systems.
What's the plan?
The Belém Health Action Plan (BHAP) is a new global framework launched at COP30 to put health at the heart of climate action. It sets out practical steps for countries to:
- Build climate-resilient health systems that can withstand extreme weather and disease outbreaks
- Mobilise finance and technology to support adaptation and reduce emissions in healthcare
- Ensure equity and participation, giving communities a voice in decision-making
- The ultimate goal? To protect lives and livelihoods, while advancing climate justice.
