A News Agency

The WHO announced that implementing six measures globally to reduce the health impacts of climate change could save 1.6 million lives each year and deliver trillions of dollars in economic benefits.

The report, titled "Global Benefits and Costs of Priority Actions on Climate Change and Health," published by the WHO on November 4, stated that the measures could generate $3.9 trillion in annual economic welfare benefits and $5.4 trillion in fiscal benefits. The measures would also contribute to reducing carbon emissions.

The report identified six measures: developing health warning systems for extreme heat, expanding climate-resilient drinking water services, providing basic sanitation services, improving access to hygiene and handwashing facilities, using cleaner fuels and technologies for cooking and heating, and strengthening fossil fuel pricing policies.

Implementing these measures could prevent 1.6 million deaths annually, equivalent to one in every 40 deaths according to modeled estimates. In addition, 16.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions could be avoided, corresponding to 31 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions when emissions from land use, land-use change and forestry are excluded.

Every $1 invested across five of the measures was estimated to generate $24 in benefits. The benefits are expected to be greater in low- and middle-income countries, potentially helping to reduce health and economic inequalities.

According to the report, extreme heat health warning systems were among the measures offering the highest returns on investment. It was calculated that every $1 invested in these systems, which can prevent heat-related illnesses by leveraging existing infrastructure, could generate $835 in benefits.

The largest economic and fiscal gains are expected from fossil fuel pricing policies. Measures such as eliminating inefficient subsidies and introducing appropriate taxation of fossil fuels are projected to prevent 1.2 million deaths annually and generate $3 trillion in economic welfare benefits and $5.4 trillion in fiscal benefits.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the climate crisis is also a health crisis and that its impacts can largely be prevented with existing tools. Ghebreyesus emphasized that scaling up proven and affordable measures could save millions of lives and said governments should place health at the center of climate policies as they prepare for climate negotiations.

In the report released ahead of COP31, the WHO called on governments, development partners and financing institutions to invest in proven interventions aimed at reducing the health impacts of climate change.