WMO welcomes $31M in Philanthropic support to address climate-related health impacts

The WMO-WHO Joint Office on Climate and Health has worked for over a decade to align climate and health services to protect populations from climate-related health risks.

As climate change escalates global health risks, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has welcomed significant philanthropic support to expand coordinated efforts to address climate-related health impacts. At the World Health Summit in Berlin, the Wellcome Trust announced a $25 million grant for World Health Organization (WHO) activities targeting the health effects of climate change, alongside an additional $6 million for WMO’s climate-health program in partnership with WHO. This support will enable the health sector to better utilize meteorological data to address growing climate threats, providing a lifeline for communities increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather.

Joint Climate-Health Initiative to Tackle Rising Threats

Alan Dangour, Director of Climate and Health at Wellcome, emphasized the need for cross-sector collaboration, saying, “Investment in climate and health must embrace both the meteorological and public health sectors.” WMO Assistant Secretary-General Thomas Asare echoed this at the World Health Summit, stressing the importance of integrating climate science with health policy and operations to improve responses to climate-induced health crises.

Extreme weather and rising global temperatures are already straining health systems worldwide. Extreme heat, responsible for nearly 500,000 deaths annually, is just one of the severe impacts. Shifting disease patterns, driven by climate change, have led to outbreaks of diseases such as malaria, cholera, and dengue fever. These changes, coupled with worsening air pollution, are contributing to a rise in respiratory diseases, cancers, and dementia globally.

Focus on Urban Health Risks

Urban areas are particularly vulnerable to climate-related health risks. More than half of the world’s population now lives in cities, making urban centers critical in the fight against climate-related health threats. The Rockefeller Foundation, alongside the WHO and WMO, recently published Urban Climate-Health Action: A New Approach to Protecting Health in the Era of Climate Change, which outlines the gaps in city-level responses to climate-induced health emergencies. The report provides a three-step roadmap to help cities more effectively respond to and plan for climate-health challenges.

Both Wellcome and the Rockefeller Foundation committed $100 million during COP28 to scale up climate-health solutions, underscoring the vital role philanthropic funding plays in addressing these global challenges. These funds aim to develop scalable, reliable systems that enhance health decision-making by integrating climate data and health information.

WMO-WHO Joint Office on Climate and Health: A Decade of Progress

The WMO-WHO Joint Office on Climate and Health has worked for over a decade to align climate and health services to protect populations from climate-related health risks. The organizations have implemented over 100 initiatives in the past five years, and a 2023-2033 Implementation Plan has been set to meet the growing demand for WMO’s expertise in climate, weather, and health.

The State of Climate Services for Health report, issued in collaboration with WHO, highlights the untapped potential of using climate science to inform health decisions. National Meteorological Services are critical frontline partners in building resilience against extreme weather and climate events. The ClimaHealth portal, a joint initiative between WMO and WHO, serves as a centralized resource providing climate-health data for better planning and response efforts.

The Rockefeller Foundation is further supporting the exploration of global digital tools for climate and health. In September 2024, over 75 technical partners gathered for a workshop, hosted by WMO, WHO, and the Wellcome Trust, to develop interoperable systems for integrated climate-informed health monitoring.

Addressing the Threat of Extreme Heat

One of the highest priorities for the WMO-WHO Joint Office is addressing the global threat of extreme heat, identified as a pressing climate-related health risk. In July, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for immediate action on extreme heat, supported by WMO, WHO, and the Global Heat Health Information Network.

Heatwaves in 2024 affected every continent, with at least ten countries recording temperatures above 50°C in multiple locations. The mortality toll from extreme heat is believed to be under-reported, and there is a pressing need for better surveillance and heat-health action plans. Scaling up heat health warning systems could save nearly 100,000 lives in 57 countries alone, according to WHO-WMO analysis.

Urban areas are especially vulnerable to extreme heat due to the intensifying effects of urbanization, compromised air quality, and water insecurity. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that extreme heatwaves in cities will become more frequent and severe, placing millions of people at high risk.

Future Outlook: Scaling Climate Services for Health

With the new financial resources from Wellcome and the Rockefeller Foundation, WMO aims to scale its efforts from project-based successes to comprehensive, system-based solutions that inform health policy and practices worldwide. “We must accelerate the availability of technical assistance to meet the growing demand for climate and weather information. These services will protect the health of the most vulnerable communities,” said Joy Shumake-Guillemot, head of the Joint Climate and Health Programme.

By expanding the reach and effectiveness of climate health programs, WMO and its partners are paving the way for more resilient health systems that can withstand the impacts of a changing climate.