#Switzerland #Geneva #WHO #Proactive Health #climate health initiative

WHO Collaborates with European and Chinese Partners for Climate and Health Initiative

On July 1, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened an event titled "Roundtable on 1.5°C Proactive Health" in Geneva, Switzerland. This initiative was jointly organized with cities and research institutions from China and Europe, signaling a novel collaborative effort towards addressing climate-induced health challenges. The WHO's collaborative partner, the Peking University School of Public Health and the Ningyuan Institute of Climate and Sustainable Development, laid the groundwork for this groundbreaking initiative.

The Roundtable brought together representatives from various organizations, including the Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Health of the WHO, the Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County of Hainan Province in China, Vichy City in France, and other vital institutions. Together, they worked towards integrated health and climate responses designed for a sustainable future.

Key Highlights of the Initiative

The official launch of the 1.5°C Proactive Health Initiative was a significant milestone, establishing the first transnational platform that links academia, industry, and governmental efforts in urban health and climate governance. These multifaceted discussions revolved around three main topics: the new paradigm of 1.5°C Proactive Health, innovative practices fostering community engagement, and urban actions aimed at implementing health solutions.

Defining a New Health Paradigm

The symposium introduced a comprehensive framework for what is termed as "1.5°C Proactive Health.” This approach emphasizes the critical health benefits derived from limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Experts from the WHO have highlighted that climate risks, such as extreme heat, natural disasters, and biodiversity loss, are exacerbating respiratory, cardiovascular, infectious diseases, and malnutrition issues. Air pollution alone leads to approximately 7 million premature deaths each year, surpassing combined fatalities from HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Alarmingly, 99% of the global population is exposed to air quality levels beyond WHO safety standards.

Innovations in Community Engagement

Institutions from both China and Europe shared evidence-based case studies focusing on improving air quality, urban health assessments, thermal therapy innovations, proactive medical interventions, green spaces, hospital sustainability initiatives, and healthy food solutions. These transformative innovations aim to bridge the gap between research and community-driven health improvements.

Urban Actions for Health Implementation

The roundtable also highlighted municipal actions taken by Baoting and Vichy, showcasing their strategies in climate-adaptive health planning. This segment illustrated natural therapies and innovative healthcare practices tailored for urban settings.

Launch of the 1.5°C Proactive Health Initiative

The Geneva Initiative operates on three fundamental pillars:

1. Shared Vision and Foundation: Recognizing the relevance of 1.5°C Proactive Health as a transformative approach to address climate-related health risks and revolutionize healthcare models.

2. Advancement in Research and Practice: A solid commitment was made towards enhancing evidence-based research and implementing the proactive health model. Central to this focus is building climate-resilient health systems that integrate proactive interventions, empowering health knowledge, promoting natural therapies, digital health solutions, and creating healthy living environments. Supporting policy instruments like green funding are vital to ensure the sustainability of proactive health systems.

3. Global Collaboration Alliance: The establishment of the "International 1.5°C Proactive Health Alliance" aims to foster a collaborative innovation network encompassing proactive health research, urban development, and industrial synergy. Specialized working groups will be formed to consolidate expertise, knowledge, policy tools, and collaborative opportunities, furthering interdisciplinary international cooperation and pilot initiatives.

Strengthening Cooperation between Health Cities

Baoting and Vichy have signed a letter of intent to deepen collaboration in numerous areas, which include:

• - Integrating thermal therapy with Traditional Chinese Medicine.
• - Exchanging and training healthcare professionals.
• - Conducting scientific research and innovation in proactive health.
• - Facilitating cultural, educational, and economic interactions between their communities.

Expert Perspectives

Dr. Maria Neira, WHO's director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Health, praised the proactive health initiative during her address, emphasizing its innovative approach, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and global leadership. Similarly, Dr. Ren Minghui from the WHO Collaborating Center addressed the seminar participants about the concept of "1.5°C Proactive Health," describing it as a paradigm shift from a disease-centric healthcare model to a holistic, people-focused one that spans lifelong health management and cross-sectoral coordination across health, sports, education, and environment sectors.

Dr. Heather Adair-Rohani discussed the WHO's strategic approach to counteracting health risks stemming from air pollution, advocating for multisectoral engagement, updating WHO Air Quality Guidelines, and launching global action initiatives. Dr. Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum covered the current global landscape concerning climate and health risks. His recommendation emphasized the importance of forming straightforward alliances and gathering evidence to support investments in health initiatives.

Urban Climate and Health Innovations in Action

Mukui Rui, Secretary of the Baoting Party Committee, asserted the county's commitment to becoming a proactive health city by launching several Initiatives in alignment with the China-EU Green and Digital Innovation Zone. This ambition includes building proactive health technology infrastructure and extending its ecological resources globally.

Yves-Jean Bignon shared Vichy's experiences in harmonizing urban planning with proactive health management. The city, renowned for its thermal resources, adopts a holistic model that incorporates therapy, exercise, and social engagement, earning recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

This groundbreaking initiative by the WHO, along with its European and Chinese partners, lays the groundwork for innovative health solutions that can bridge climate awareness and public health strategies worldwide. The proactive integration of environment and health will amplify cities’ resources, leading to sustainable, community-driven health outcomes, and promote international collaboration as nations strive together for a healthier future.