The World Meteorological Organization has received $11.5 million to strengthen its joint climate and health work with the World Health Organization. The Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome announced the funding at the World Health Assembly.
Rockefeller contributed $5.2 million while Wellcome provided $6.3 million. The money will help expand weather and climate information for health planning in countries that need it most.
The funding will create early warnings and forecasts to help spot and respond to climate-related health threats.
“This partnership will accelerate the use of climate services to address health challenges, from heat illness to the spread of diseases,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
The program will set up health-meteorological units in seven countries across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. It will also support teamwork between weather agencies and health ministries in at least 80 countries.
Climate impacts are hurting people’s health worldwide. Last year, ten countries saw temperatures above 50°C, with many more facing night temperatures above 40°C. These heat waves kill about half a million people yearly. Yet only half of national weather services issue heat warnings, and just 26 countries have heat-health warning systems in place.
“We must put people’s health at the heart of climate solutions,” said Dr. Alan Dangour from Wellcome.
The program aims to improve understanding of how weather affects health and build a better response to both short and long-term health effects of climate change.
