Pasilla said climate change is creating a public health crisis and offers an adaptation plan. COP30 Amazon

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“The climate crisis is first and foremost a public health crisis. All the evidence already shows its impact on people’s lives, people’s livelihoods and people’s health. In fact, more than 150,000 deaths in 2024 are directly linked to pulmonary and respiratory causes caused by the spread of fire and combustion in the most diverse biomes around the world,” he said at a press conference in the Blue Zones. COP30, a place where official delegations from participating countries tour.

Pasilla also addressed the health effects of extreme weather events and heatwaves. “Whether it’s the floods we experienced last year in Rio Grande do Sul, the drought in areas like the Amazon or the northeastern hinterland, or events like the cyclone that hit[Parana]last week, health is the most painful part of climate tragedies like this.”

Regarding the Belém Action Plan for the Adaptation of the Health Sector to Climate Change in particular, Padilla said that this initiative has been under construction since May this year and has the support of more than 80 national and inter-institutional partners.

“Countries from all continents of the world have expressed their support for this plan. Charities and financial institutions have expressed not only their support but also their investment,” Padilla said, without giving figures. “Brazil and the Baku Group will now be responsible for the implementation exercise to monitor the implementation of this plan since its launch today.”

Pasilla’s announcement is a direct response to Article 7 of the Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, which set global adaptation goals.

“We will use all international global health forums to participate and increase mobilization in the implementation of this plan. This is a plan that can be adapted to national realities, national health systems and climate realities.”

Brazil’s Minister of Health also commented that the plan proposes three main courses of action. The first involves epidemiological and environmental surveillance and monitoring, and the second follows the path of scientific evidence-based public policy, strategy, and capacity building. The latter includes innovation and digital health.

In response to a question from students from the city of Belém, who were invited to an interview with journalists, about how the plan will be effective in improving health care in vulnerable areas, Padilla said the plan has equity as a precondition for action to benefit the most needy communities.