Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen:
It is an honor to stand before you at the BFA (Boao Forum for Asia) Global Health Forum 2025. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the organizers- for convening this critical dialogue, at the crossroads of climate change and global health.
Over the past year, the world has witnessed again and again – that climate change is not a distant threat. It is a full-blown global health emergency, accelerating with alarming speed.
Imagine this: between 2030 and 2050, climate change is projected to cause an additional 250,000 deaths every single year. This is not a forecast – it’s a warning.
These lives won’t be lost to melting ice glaciers alone, but to hunger, disease, polluted air, and deadly heat waves.
This is no longer just an environmental issue. It is an existential crisis.
To meet this moment, we must reframe climate change for what it truly is: a global health emergency.
Quite simply, climate equals health. Let me say that again: climate equals health.
This truth must shape our policies, our budgets, and the very mandates of our institutions.
From extreme weather to air pollution, from vector-borne diseases to food insecurity, and mental health – these are no longer anomalies. They’re the new normal. And our health systems must evolve to meet them.
We are already seeing progress. In China, for example, strong political will and evidence-based action have led to significant reductions in air pollution over the past decade.
By applying that same resolve to climate-health policies, China- and others can save lives, prevent disease, and build more equitable societies.
As a global leader in clean energy innovation, China’s experience offers a blueprint for others. The world is watching – and hoping for continued leadership in shaping climate-resilient health futures.
At WHO, and through our Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health based in Seoul, we call on all governments and institutions to act urgently.
We must build climate-resilient health systems that includes:
Early warning systems that integrate weather and health data.
Climate-smart infrastructure – from power and water to sustainable procurement.
And medical protocols that embed a climate lens, from triage to discharge.
We have the tools:
Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and satellite monitoring.
Predictive analytics and real-time health surveillance.
But innovation alone is not enough. We need investment. We need cooperation and we need courage.
The window for action is closing fast. We’ve known the risks for decades. Climate change respects no borders.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – like my homeland, Tonga - are already on the frontlines.
We must:
Fortify our health systems against heat, disease, and disasters.
Redesign our cities and coastlines for clean air, safe water, and healthy living.
Transform our food systems to nourish people and protect the planet.
And unlock fair, inclusive climate-health financing for those bearing the greatest burden.
The urgency is real. But our response must be just, inclusive, and grounded in science.
The choices we make today will shape the health and security of generations to come.
I leave you with this African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Let us go far – together. With urgency. With integrity. And with unwavering resolve to deliver a healthier, safer, and more resilient future for all.
Thank you.