Climate action for health: a policy guide for co-benefits in the Western Pacific Region

Overview

Climate change is an escalating threat to health in the WHO Western Pacific Region, where rising temperatures, extreme weather events and environmental degradation are already driving increases in disease, food and water insecurity, and population displacement.

This evidence-based policy guide highlights how well-designed climate actions across key sectors, including transport, energy, food systems, urban development and water, can deliver substantial and immediate health co-benefits, from cleaner air and improved nutrition to more resilient communities. By integrating health considerations into climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, countries can achieve stronger social, economic and environmental outcomes.

The guide calls for coordinated, cross-sector action and greater investment to unlock these co-benefits and advance climate-resilient, healthier futures across the Region.