Environment, Climate Change and Health

We pursue a healthier environment by strengthening health sector leadership, building mechanisms for political and social support and monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals regarding environmental threats to health.

About us

Technical areas of work

Air Quality, Energy and Health

Chemical Safety and Health

Children’s environmental health

Climate Change and Health

Healthy urban environments

Occupational health

Radiation and health

Water Sanitation and Health (WASH)

Settings & populations

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News

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Speech

13 December 2024

WHO Director-General's statement at the International Court of Justice - Responding to the Climate Change Health Crisis - 13 December 2024

Features

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WHO and NHS to work together on decarbonization of health care systems across the world

Events

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Commentaries

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For centuries we have plundered our planet. Now we are paying the price

Our strategy

WHO global strategy on health, environment and climate change: the transformation needed to improve lives and wellbeing sustainably through healthy environments

The new strategy is timely – it responds to and is in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the GPW13.

Calls for

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Call for proposals

Call for event proposals at the COP30 Health Pavilion (closed)

Call for proposals

Call for climate-health proposals for the Ideas Lab (closed)

Publications

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Climate change and workplace heat stress: technical report and guidance

This publication provides an overview of evidence and guidance on the growing challenge of workplace heat stress in the context of climate change. It highlights...

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Health system strengthening interventions to improve the health of displaced and migrant populations in the context of climate change

This is the seventh report in the Global Evidence Review on Health and Migration (GEHM) series. The publication examines how health systems are responding...

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Compendium of WHO and other UN guidance in health and environment, 2024 update

This is the 2024 update of the Compendium of WHO and other UN guidance on health and environment. The Compendium is a comprehensive collection of available...

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This video presentation highlights the critical intersection between public health and the escalating climate crisis, underlining the health impacts of...

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Videos

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#KeepCool in the heat: At home

#KeepCool in the heat: Outside

Infographics highlight

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Tools

AIDE-MÉMOIRES: Briefs by environment, climate change and health topic for country action

Essential information to support action

Air pollution and health training toolkit for health workers (APHT)

A set of materials designed to enable health workers, in both the clinical and public health fields, to understand the health risks of air pollution and identify risk reduction measures.

Compendium of WHO and other UN guidance on health and environment

Global repository of interventions for creating healthier environments and improving health. It provides an overview and easy access of 500 actions, and a framework for thinking about health and environment interventions.

Graphic banner of the Health and Environment scorecards

Health and environment country scorecards

The Health and environment scorecards aim to provide a quick snapshot of where countries stand on managing six major environmental threats to health: air pollution, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), climate change, exposure to chemicals, radiation, and occupational health.

HEAT tool for walking and cycling

Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) for walking and cycling: HEAT for walking and cycling is a user-friendly, web-based tool used to estimate the health and economic impacts of increased walking and cycling.

Doctors attend to patients in the COVID-19 ICU of the Philippine General Hospital in Manila. They are among the first Filipinos to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country

Occupational hazards in the health sector

This e-tool is intended for use by people in charge of occupational health and safety for health workers at the national, subnational and facility levels and for health workers who want to know what WHO and ILO recommend for the protection of their health and safety

SunSmart Global UV App

Free application for mobile devices that describes the level of solar UV radiation at a specific location. It also provides time slots when to apply sun protection measures, in an effort to reduce the global burden of skin cancer and UV-related eye damage.

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WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury

The WHO/ILO Joint Estimates quantify the number of deaths and amount of health loss (disability-adjusted life years or DALYs) caused by occupational risk factors.

Children under solar panels

WHO Manifesto for a healthy recovery from COVID-19

WHO prescriptions for a healthy, green recovery from COVID-19 that will help steer governments towards a healthier, fairer, and greener world.

Our work

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Promoting biodiversity conservation for climate and health

Building capacity on climate change and human health

Campaigns and initiaves

thermometer on orange sky background

Flagship Initiative against extreme heat and related environmental health risks in workplaces and major events

Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH)

BreatheLife: A global campaign for clean air

International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2025

WHO – WMO Joint Climate and Health Programme

Q&As

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Fact sheets

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Facts in pictures

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13 September 2024

Children's environmental health

5 December 2018

Health and climate change

Health topics

Chemical safety

Children's environmental health

Environmental health

Health impact assessment

Occupational health

Radiation emergencies

Ultraviolet radiation

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)