Call to speed up global fossil fuel phase-out

Healthcare professionals from around the world have passionately called upon all nations to swiftly and fairly phase out fossil fuels, asserting it as the crucial route to universal health. In an open letter directed towards the United Arab Emirates, who are hosting the upcoming UN climate talks (COP28), and other global leaders, these experts in healthcare emphasised the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events induced by climate change. These events, which include extreme heat, unprecedented storms, floods, food and water scarcity, wildfires, and mass displacements, are causing significant health hazards in numerous countries. For the first time, the yearly UN climate talks will dedicate a day to concentrate on climate-health issues, culminating in a climate-health ministerial meeting. This meeting aims to establish a consensus on essential measures for healthcare systems to respond to climate change, backed by financial commitments for implementation. In their letter to the president of the forthcoming UN climate talks, Sultan Al Jaber, healthcare professionals stressed that the Paris Agreement already acknowledges the right to health as a fundamental obligation for climate action. Nevertheless, they highlighted that communities, healthcare workers, and health systems globally are already contending with the alarming repercussions of a shifting climate.