Climate Change And Health In The Western Pacific Region

There is serious concern about the impact of the changing climate. The WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has taken the initiative in addressing health issues related to climate change but further action is needed to support efforts to confront climate change in Member States and in various sectors. Health must be mainstreamed into efforts to address climate change and action must be coordinated and integrated across national boundaries and in all sectors. This report synthesizes information and approaches on climate change and health pertinent to Member States in the Western Pacific Region. It also examines efforts and initiatives by various experts and stakeholders with an in-depth look at experiences in seven Member States that reflect the diversity of the Region. Finally it offers recommendations for policy-makers.

Environmental determinants of health are responsible for more than a quarter of the burden of disease in the Western Pacific Region. Communicable and noncommunicable disease disability and death result from a lack of safe water and sanitation indoor and outdoor air pollution hazardous chemicals occupational hazards and climate-related disasters. The Western Pacific Regional Framework for Action on Health and Environment on a Changing Planet intends to relaunch the World Health Organization (WHO) s Health and the Environment programme and fulfil its mandate in the area of environmental health. It proposes to leverage the health sector focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) process providing guidance for prioritizing the work of WHO in support of Member States improving health outcomes through action on environmental determinants. It articulates entry points for health and environment priority actions in WHO country cooperation strategies the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and other mechanisms for international collaboration and notably with the United Nations Environment Programme and ministries of environment. The framework also sets a course for the health sector to advocate adaptive measures policies and action to protect health and well-being as a co-benefit of interventions in energy agriculture transport housing and other spheres.

Climate change in the Pacific is threatening the health of Pacific islanders, as well as economic and social development. Extreme weather events, especially cyclones, floods and droughts, are displacing populations, causing injuries and psychological trauma, and are increasing the risks of infection and malnutrition. Hotter and wetter climates are increasing the risks for vector-borne disease. Disasters related to climate change are disrupting the delivery of health-care services and are increasing the risks of disease and death among vulnerable groups, especially young children, women of reproductive age, older people and people with disabilities. This report informs and encourages timely action by Member States towards building resilience of the health sector to climate change. It targets policy-makers and advisers in various sectors, public health practitioners, scientists and community stakeholders.

The regional framework positions the health sector as a key actor in the broader disaster risk management agenda. This is of special significance considering the March 2015 United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, and upcoming meetings on the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Regional Framework for Action for Disaster Risk Management for Health recommends health sector actions for each of the four phases of the disaster risk management cycle--prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Governments should select priorities on which to focus according to their own national disaster risk management plans, as well as the local context and potential hazards.

"Climate Change in the Pacific is a rigorously researched, peer-reviewed scientific assessment of the climate of the western Pacific region. Building on the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this two volume publication represents a comprehensive resource on the climate of the Pacific" --Website.

"Many countries in the Asia Pacific region continue to show impressive economic growth and development despite the turmoil facing much of the world, raising the standard of living for millions of people. However, amid this growth, more than a billion people remain left behind because of widening disparities and unequal access to opportunities for health, development and prosperity. These are the people who are most vulnerable to diseases resulting from poverty, including neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Common NTDs trap communities in a cycle of malnutrition and anaemia, poor learning, lower productivity and poor maternal and child health outcomes and, depending on the type of NTD, complications and disabilities such as blindness, swelling of limbs, organ failure or brain damage. NTD elimination and control efforts are recognized as one of the most cost-effective interventions in global health today. In addition to preventing and reducing disease and disability, NTD elimination and control efforts help maximize the impact of cross-sectoral programmes. These programmes include education, water and sanitation, food safety, nutrition and climate change adaptation. It is critical to work across sectors and leverage integrated approaches at a time when donors, policy-makers and programme managers must improve efficiency to achieve scale and impact with limited resources. This publication underscores the importance of tackling NTDs in order to help alleviate suffering, reduce poverty and ensure the continued social and economic growth of the region. As a joint production by the World Health Organization Regional Offices for South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, the Asian Development Bank and the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, this publication highlights the need for greater crosssectoral partnership and additional investments. The Asia Pacific region has achieved remarkable success in tackling these debilitating diseases under the leadership of governments in endemic countries and with the support of partners worldwide. Lymphatic filariasis has been eliminated in three countries and 10 others are awaiting verification of elimination or are in the surveillance stage before verification by 2016. WHO targets for deworming school-age children have been reached in five countries, and trachoma elimination is expected to be achieved in six countries by 2016."--Page iv