At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the World Health Organisation and governments have warned that climate change is causing a global health emergency. The Belém Health Action Plan needs urgent funding.

At the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Brazilian government issued a stark warning: climate change is already triggering a global health emergency, and the newly launched Belém Health Action Plan (BHAP) needs urgent, well-funded implementation.

In a special report released on November 14, 2025, WHO, together with Brazil’s Ministry of Health, underscored that more than 540,000 people die each year from extreme heat, while one in twelve hospitals worldwide is at risk of climate-driven disruptions.

“The climate crisis is a health crisis – not in the distant future but here and now,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He said the report lays out concrete, evidence-based interventions already in use around the world and calls for rapid scaling.

A Health-Crisis Agenda Emerges at COP30

The Belém Health Action Plan was formally launched on November 13, the Health Day of COP30, by Brazil in partnership with WHO and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). PAHO Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa urged countries to adopt the plan, calling it a “roadmap to protect lives and promote equity in a changing climate.”

The timing of the launch – in the heart of the Amazon – underscored Brazil’s intention to place health at the core of climate negotiations, not as an afterthought.

Belém Plan’s Bold Vision and Three Pillars

The Belém Plan is framed around two cross-cutting principles: health equity and climate justice, and participatory governance with social participation.

Under that framework, it identifies three key lines of action:

• Surveillance and monitoring, strengthening climate-informed health surveillance systems.
• Evidence-based policies and capacity building, enabling countries to build resilient, equity-driven health strategies.
• Innovation, production and digital health, promoting research, sustainable technologies, and inclusive access.

Brazil’s Health Minister Alexandre Padilha called it “a way forward,” stressing that adaptation must be treated with the same seriousness as mitigation.

Two complementary reports accompany the plan: one focuses on scientific evidence and implementation, while the other emphasizes social participation and leadership, especially from marginalized and vulnerable communities.

$11 Billion Gap Threatens Climate-Health Ambitions

Despite its ambition, the Belém Health Action Plan faces a daunting financial hurdle. Experts at COP30 have flagged a funding gap of around US$ 11 billion annually for global health adaptation.

While philanthropic institutions have pledged an initial US$ 300 million to support early implementation, many warn this is only a small fraction of what is needed.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), health has received only a sliver of its fair share of adaptation funding – with just 0.5 per cent of multilateral climate finance going to the sector.

Carlos Lopes, Special Envoy for Africa under the COP30 Presidency, called the shortfall “quite colossal,” noting that without sustained investment, BHAP risks remaining a symbolic initiative rather than a transformative one.

WHO’s report backs the urgency: only 54 per cent of national health adaptation plans currently assess risks to health facilities, and even fewer address gender (20 per cent) or disability (less than 1 per cent) in their studies.

Experts argue that allocating just 7 per cent of adaptation finance to health could make a dramatic difference, potentially safeguarding billions of people and keeping essential services operating during climate shocks.

Looking Ahead: From Plan to Action

Among its calls to action, WHO and Brazil urge governments to:

• Integrate health into national climate plans such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).
• Channel savings from decarbonization towards health adaptation and workforce strengthening.
• Invest in resilient health infrastructure, especially for hospitals and essential services.
• Elevate community voices, leveraging local knowledge in climate-health governance.

Dr Nick Watts, Chair of WHO’s Expert Advisory Group, noted that many of the proposed interventions are “cost-effective, high-impact, and no-regret,” pointing to examples such as early-warning systems, green hospital designs, and climate-informed health planning.

Still, the success of BHAP will depend on bridging the funding gap and galvanizing political buy-in.

“Protecting health systems is one of the smartest investments any country can make,” Watts said – but only if global financing catches up with the scale of the crisis.

Image: Equals Bulletin