#Switzerland #Geneva #Sustainable Future #Climate Health #WHO Initiative

WHO Launches Multilateral Initiative for Climate and Health Solutions

On July 2, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened a pivotal roundtable in Geneva, collaborating with cities and research institutions from China and Europe. The event, titled the "Roundtable on 1.5°C Proactive Health," aimed to address proactive health measures concerning global warming and its implications for public health. This gathering was sponsored by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Universal Health Coverage (Peking University Health Development Research Centre) and the Ningyuan Institute of Climate and Sustainable Development.

Key Participants and Contributions

Among the various participants were representatives from the WHO Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, the Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County in Hainan, China, and the French city of Vichy, alongside experts from public health institutions focused on balneology, nutrition, and health standardization. Their collective efforts were aimed at identifying integrated solutions that intersect climate and health to foster a more sustainable future.

The highlight of the roundtable was the official launch of the Geneva 1.5°C Proactive Health Initiative, which is notably the first transnational platform that integrates academia, industry, and public administration while focusing on urban climate-health challenges. The discussions revolved around three central themes: the introduction of new health approaches in the context of a 1.5°C temperature rise, innovative practices under the concept of "From Lab to Community," and urban strategies for implementing health care initiatives.

New Paradigms for Proactive Health

The symposium showcased a comprehensive framework for the "Proactive Health Approach in the Context of 1.5°C" and emphasized significant health benefits that could stem from limiting global warming to this threshold. WHO experts underscored the increased climate-related health risks such as extreme heat, natural disasters, and biodiversity loss, which exacerbate rates of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, and malnutrition. Air pollution alone accounts for approximately seven million premature deaths annually, exceeding deaths from HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. Alarmingly, 99% of the global population is exposed to pollutant concentrations that surpass the safety limits established by the WHO.

Innovations and Urban Health Practices

During the roundtable, Chinese and European institutions presented evidence-based case studies focused on improving air quality, urban health assessments, innovations in balneotherapy, proactive medical interventions, green space development, green hospital initiatives, healthy eating, and the labeling of sustainable products. Specific sessions were dedicated to urban initiatives from Pao-Tching and Vichy, demonstrating nature therapy and health planning adapted to climate change.

Main Outputs of the Initiative

The Geneva 1.5°C Proactive Health Initiative is built on three foundational pillars:
1. A Shared Vision and Rationale: Recognizing the importance of a proactive health approach as a fundamental shift in addressing climate-induced health risks and transitioning to new health care models.
2. Research and Practice Development: Participants committed to promoting evidence-based research and implementing a proactive health approach focused on resilience of health systems to climate change. This includes integrating proactive measures such as knowledge enhancement, natural therapies, digital health solutions, nutritional innovations, and creation of healthy environments supported by appropriate policy tools, including green financing for sustainability.
3. International Alliance for Proactive Health: The formation of the "1.5°C Proactive Health International Alliance" aims to create a collaborative network across research, urban development, and industrial synergy fields. Specialized working groups will connect expertise, experiences, policy tools, and partnership opportunities, fostering international interdisciplinary collaboration and pilot initiatives.

Enhanced Collaboration Between Cities

As part of the initiative, Pao-Tching and Vichy signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen their cooperation in key areas such as linking balneotherapy with traditional Chinese medicine, training exchanges for healthcare workers, proactive health research, and cultural and educational exchanges between their communities.

Experts' Perspectives

Prominent participants included Dr. Maria Neira, WHO's Director for Environment, Climate Change and Health, who highlighted the proactive health initiative as a paradigm of innovative cross-sector collaboration and global leadership. Dr. Ren Minghui, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Universal Health Coverage, elaborated on the proactive health concept as a crucial shift from a reactive, illness-centric health care system to a holistic model centered around individual care and coordination across various sectors including health, nutrition, education, and environment.

Dr. Heather Adair-Rohani, a WHO air quality expert, presented the organization’s strategic approach to tackle health risks associated with air pollution, while Dr. Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum outlined the current global state of climate and health risks.

Community Innovation and Implementation

Mukui Rui, Secretary of the Baoting County Party Committee, discussed how Pao-Tching leverages its unique natural environment to transition into a proactive health city through initiatives for green and digital innovations aimed at building sustainable health infrastructure. Yves-Jean Bignon, Deputy Mayor of Vichy, shared his city’s experience in integrating land use planning with proactive health management, especially in harnessing its thermal springs’ therapeutic potential.

Moreover, the roundtable reinforced the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration, with various representatives exploring avenues for integrating health and climate change initiatives at localized levels, with a focus on sustaining environmental health and establishing encouraging ecosystems that promote wellness.

Moving Forward

The WHO and its partners are set to initiate the China-Europe Proactive Health Research Initiative in 2025, further solidifying Pao-Tching's status as a pilot zone for proactive health in a warming climate. The intention is to collaboratively develop projects addressing natural therapies, health solutions leveraging digital technology, nutrition, and forming healthy communities, as part of a broader international network geared towards advancing the proactive health sector. This ambitious initiative seeks to position China as a global leader in technology transfer and health standards while promoting cohesive regional collaboration to tackle climate change's impact on health comprehensively.