With more than half a million people worldwide dying from heat-related causes every year, a coalition of global philanthropies has announced a $300 million commitment to develop life-saving solutions as rising temperatures intensify health risks. The announcement was made at the COP30 climate negotiations in Brazil, where climate and health have taken center stage.
The funding will be used to generate data and identify the most effective investments to tackle extreme heat, worsening air pollution, and the spread of infectious diseases. Estelle Willie, director of health policy and communications at The Rockefeller Foundation, one of the funders, said: “We can’t just keep plugging holes and resuscitating a dying model of development. Through our philanthropy capital, we can start testing and validating new solutions.”
Brazil, as host of COP30, also unveiled the Belem Health Action Plan, encouraging nations to coordinate climate-related health policies across ministries. This initiative reflects Brazil’s broader focus on strengthening countries’ ability to prepare for and adapt to worsening climate impacts, including floods, fires, droughts, storms, and hurricanes.
The newly pledged $300 million adds to the estimated $1-2 billion in public funding already being spent globally on climate-health research, according to a 2023 study in PLOS. Yet experts warn that the scale of the crisis demands far greater investment. An October report in The Lancet estimated nearly 550,000 deaths annually from heat-related causes worsened by climate change, underscoring the urgency of action.
Willie emphasized that climate change is eroding decades of progress in global health: “Climate change is literally making every single problem in global health worse right now.” The philanthropic pledge is seen as a significant step toward innovative solutions, but experts caution that without sustained global cooperation, the health impacts of climate change will continue to escalate.
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