The inclusion of health discussions for the first time in the COP28 is a significant step toward addressing the health issues derived from the climate impacts.

Over 46.3 million health professionals such as the World Medical Association, World Federation of Public Health Association, and International Council of Nurses, have outlined a critical need to protect human health by reducing dependence on fossil fuels, rapidly investing in clean energy technology and reducing air pollution.

This year’s annual UN climate conference is highly awaited as it entails new deliverables ranging from the global stocktake to the new health discussions to be held for the first time and the loss and damage fund awaiting decision-making on ways of its operationalization.

Global health and medical communities have joined together demanding a genuine end to fossil fuel dependency during this year’s COP. The letter addressed to COP 28 President-Designate Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber demands that “countries commit to an accelerated, just and equitable phase-out of fossil fuels as the decisive path to health for all”

Health has become outrightly important considering the evident climate crisis impacts on humanity ranging from heat stress, malnutrition, anxiety, vector-borne diseases, and respiratory illnesses due to dirty air to name a few. These impacts become even more far-reaching as the extreme weather events hit facilities like hospitals, health care centers, and care homes where people are to get relief and care from making situations more dire.

Cited by the floods in Libya and the Earthquake in Morocco, it’s apparent that around the world, the impacts of increasing floods, heat waves, fires, and droughts drive home the point that the climate crisis is also, profoundly, a health and humanitarian crisis. People are being displaced, suffering, and dying due to warming temperatures.

According to Dr. Lujain Alqodmani, President, of the World Medical Association, our dangerous addiction to fossil fuels will only aggravate this further, hence his emphasis on consideration of a rapid transition to clean and equitable forms of energy as a win-win on all fronts.

On the same note, the health sector has been urged to take on a leading voice for a rapid just, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels. The health sector being a part of these discussions is crucial in protecting public health from climate change since it would ensure the transition to affordable, clean, renewable, and healthy energy.

“For COP28 to truly become a ‘Health COP’, it must address the root cause of the climate crisis, which is a deliberate continuation of extraction and usage of fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and gas. We call on COP28’s presidency and leaders worldwide to commit to an expedited, just and equitable phase-out of fossil fuels as the definitive path to health for all,” they said.

The health sector is bestowed a great obligation since they are the epicenter of addressing the escalating and noxious effects of climate change that are robbing people of their health. As stated by Dr. Pam Cipriano, President, of the International Council of Nurses, more people come to health care centers, hospitals, and clinics complaining of heat exhaustion, respiratory issues, and allergies, secondhand smoke exposure among other things.

“We firmly believe that COP28 is an opportunity to adopt unified solutions and take action to implement mitigation and adaptation policies that also protect our healthiness. This means phasing out “dirty energy” like coal, oil, and gas that have negative impacts on health and the environment and prioritizing clean energy sources. We must invest in a healthy and climate-safe future–the time to act on this is now,” said Dr. Pam.

The healthcare professionals also called for the exclusion of fossil fuel interests from climate negotiations, highlighting the industry’s history of obstructing climate action at UNFCCC negotiations when it comes to pressing matters.

The health professionals called for a similarity to the tobacco industry’s exclusion from the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, they stressed the need to protect global collaboration on climate progress from the lobbying, disinformation, and delays driven by industry interests.