Climate change is already driving a global health emergency, with over 540 000 people dying from extreme heat each year and 1 in 12 hospitals worldwide at risk of climate-related shutdowns, warns a new special report, released today jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Government of Brazil (COP30 Presidency) and the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

The COP30 Special report on health and climate change: delivering the Belém Health Action Plan, notes that rising temperatures and collapsing health systems are claiming more lives, and calls for immediate and coordinated action to protect health in a rapidly warming world. It follows the launch of the Belém Health Action Plan, a flagship initiative of Brazil’s COP 30 Presidency, unveiled on the dedicated Health Day of COP30 – 13 November 2025.