Researchers urge WHO to declare climate change a public health emergency
Researchers emphasize that climate change is no longer a future threat but an immediate health danger globally, including severe impacts on vulnerable African populations, and call on WHO to declare it a public health emergency.
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Researchers from Africa and worldwide are urging the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare climate change a public health emergency. They highlight that recent extreme weather events—such as record heatwaves, floods, wildfires, and droughts—have already caused significant health crises globally.
In Europe, over 50,000 deaths linked to heatwaves occurred in summer 2026, with about 65% attributable to human-driven climate change. Similar impacts are observed in Africa, where studies reveal serious health consequences of heat exposure during pregnancy, including lifelong health problems for children.
Communities in Africa are increasingly aware of these risks, but vulnerable populations and healthcare workers face severe challenges. The researchers stress that climate change is an immediate danger, not a distant threat, and call for urgent global health responses.