Climate and Health Initiative

By Mereoni Mili 

(Bonn, Germany) A new initiative to protect people in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from health impacts was launched yesterday at the COP23.

The initiative is between the World Health Organisation, the United Nation Climate Change secretariat and the Fijian COP 23 Presidency.

Speaking at the launch the Prime Minister and COP23 President Voreqe Bainimarama said “We all know that climate change will have a seriously increasing effects on the health of our people and create some serious challenges for our health system and infrastructure”.

“I am especially pleased that this initiatives is not a gift to SIDS, it recognises that we islanders have ideas, experiences, energy and commitment to offer. It is a true partnership to produce solutions” he said.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, founding Chair of Regions of Climate Action and Former Governor of California presence at the launch energised the room as many wanted to listen to the terminator and his very public fight on pollution and climate change.

“Health should be the centre of climate change if we really want to say Hasta La Vista to coal and oil” says Schwarzenegger.

He said it is our responsibility to hand this world to the next generation better than we inherited it.

The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that all Small Island Developing States will have health systems that are resilient to climate change by 2030 and also stresses the need to reduce carbon emissions worldwide to protect the most vulnerable.