WHO-Civil Society Working Group to Advance Action on Climate and Health
The WHO-Civil Society Working Group for Action on Climate Change and Health aims to foster a strong and sustained health voice, informing decision-making on climate change nationally and internationally, and driving urgent action on climate change.
Working group members work individually and collaboratively to increase engagement of the health sector in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Through the Working Group and its three subcommittees they tackle climate change through health care systems reform, research, peer education, advocacy, emergency response, and policy development. Established in 2019 by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the group is co-chaired by the WHO Assistant Director-General for Healthier Populations, and the Executive Director of the Global Climate and Health Alliance.
Working Group Highlights
In 2022 the Capacity Building Subcommittee released an open letter to health education stakeholders calling on universities and other academic institutions to strengthen climate change education for all health professionals.
In 2021 the Working Group played key roles in drafting and disseminating the Healthy Climate Prescription letter, which was signed by over 600 organizations representing 46 million health workers. It highlighted climate change as a health emergency and called for urgent, ambitious and equitable climate action.
In 2021 the Research Subcommittee reviewed climate and health research published in the past 10 years, and published Climate change and health research: current trends, gaps and perspectives for the future as an update of WHO’s 2009 research priorities paper
In 2021 the Working Group hosted Regional Consultations in each of the six WHO regions, inviting health professionals addressing the causes and impacts of climate change, to connect with others in their field and region, and to contribute to the WHO special report to the UNFCCC – The Health Argument for Climate Action.
Working Group Co-Chairs
World Health Organization
WHO supports countries in building climate-resilient health systems and tracking national progress in protecting health from climate change. It also supports countries in assessing the health gains that would result from the implementation of the existing Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement, and the potential for larger gains from more ambitious climate action.
Global Climate and Health Alliance
The Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) unites and mobilises the health community worldwide and accelerates climate action to protect and improve health for all. We are a network of 200+ health and development organisations spanning every continent and 125+ countries. Through our network we are able to reach more than 46 million health workers globally.
Working Group Members
Amref Health Africa is the leading African health NGO. Headquartered in Kenya, Amref's mission is to increase sustainable health access to communities in Africa through solutions in human resources for health, health services delivery, and investments in health.
The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments is the only national nursing organization focused solely on the intersection of health and the environment.
The ENBEL project coordinates a network of international health and climate research projects under the Belmont Forum’s Collaborative Research Action on Climate, Environment and Health and EU-funded projects.
ENBEL is funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. We engage with policymakers and key stakeholders to understand their evidence needs on climate and health, provide synthesis of scientific evidence on climate change and health links, identify knowledge gaps and translate evidence into outputs relevant for policy.
The George Institute for Global Health is an independent research institute dedicated to improving the health of millions of people worldwide. A planetary health lens is embedded into our research and advocacy.
The George Institute seeks to ensure that evidence informs the development and implementation of social, economic, and environmental policies to address the intertwined challenges of climate change and non-communicable diseases to improve the overall outcomes for the health of people and the planet.
Health In Harmony is an international nonprofit dedicated to reversing tropical rainforest deforestation to halt the nature and climate crisis by listening to rainforest communities and investing precisely in their solutions (healthcare, livelihoods, and education).
Health In Harmony programs return improved human health and improved forest health and drawdown of CO2.
Indigenous Allied Health Australia is a national, member-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health organisation. IAHA leads sector workforce development and support, to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
For over 100 years, the International Pediatric Association (IPA) has been the only global body representing the professional societies of pediatricians.
IPA represents pediatricians from over 149 countries in over 164 member societies, enabling them to work together to improve the physical, mental and social and environmental health of all children. The IPA works through its Environmental Health Strategic Advisory Group to educate and advocate for action on the climate crisis.
The International Pharmaceutical Students Federation is the leading international advocacy organisation for pharmacy and pharmaceutical science students and recent graduates.
It promotes improved public health through the provision of information, education, networking and a range of publications and professional initiatives
ISEE Asia and Western Pacific Chapter was first established in 2004 and promotes communication as well as facilitate capacity building for environmental epidemiology in Asian and Western Pacific countries.
The Médecins du Monde International Network is currently carrying out around 400 health projects in more than 70 countries.
The Médecins du Monde International Network is currently carrying out around 400 health projects in more than 70 countries. All our projects are focused on supporting marginalized population groups, such as migrating populations, homeless people or girls and women. Our own data and research show, that all those groups are particularly impacted by climate crisis. Through targeted data collection, best practices and local partnerships we aim to promote inclusive and climate resilient health systems leaving no one behind.
Médecins Sans Frontières translates to Doctors without Borders. We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare.
Médecins Sans Frontières translates to Doctors without Borders. We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams are made up of tens of thousands of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff – bound together by our charter. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organisation.
People's Health Movement is a global network of grassroots health activists, civil society organizations and academic institutions particularly from developing countries.
PHM currently has bases in more than 70 countries that include both individuals and well-established circles with their own governance structures.
The South African Medical Association believes that, as a representative organization for the medical profession in South Africa and the African region, we should be the voice of authority on matters affecting public health, including climate change.
The South African Medical Association believes that, as a representative organization for the medical profession in South Africa and the African region, we should be the voice of authority on matters affecting public health, including climate change. SAMA has for some time recognized the significant health threat that is caused, and will still be caused, by climate change. SAMA has played an active and vocal role in the fight to address climate change in Africa, the global south, and the global village as a whole.
Vital Strategies is an international non-governmental organization working in over 70 countries to address the world’s most pressing public health challenges.
Environmental Health’s diverse team of researchers, analysts, communication, and policy experts collaborate closely with policymakers and stakeholders to compile and analyze critical data, raise awareness of pressing environmental health threats, and advocate for innovative policy solutions that control air pollution, mitigate and adapt to climate change, reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, and expand clean energy and transportation options.
The World Federation of Public Health Associations is the umbrella group for 130 National Public Health Associations.
WFPHA’s mission is to advocate for health equity and global policies to improve the health of populations through collaborating with groups or individuals who share our values, and strengthening global population health by developing and advancing public health practice, education, training and research worldwide. The Environmental Health Working Group of the WFPHA takes the lead on matters involving the interrelationship between human health, their environment and planetary health.
For over 100 years, the International Pediatric Association (IPA) has been the only global body representing the professional societies of pediatricians.
IPA represents pediatricians from over 149 countries in over 164 member societies, enabling them to work together to improve the physical, mental and social and environmental health of all children. The IPA works through its Environmental Health Strategic Advisory Group to educate and advocate for action on the climate crisis.
Working Group Alumni
