WHO identifies six climate measures that could save 1.6m lives yearly

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified six climate and health interventions that could prevent 1.6 million deaths annually, while generating $9.3 trillion in combined economic and fiscal benefits globally.

The measures, which include heat-health warning systems, climate-resilient drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene services, cleaner household energy and efficient fossil fuel pricing policies, could also help avoid 16.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

According to a new WHO report, Global Benefits and Costs of Prioritised Actions on Climate Change and Health, scaling up the interventions worldwide could generate $3.9 trillion in annual economic welfare benefits and an additional $5.4 trillion in fiscal gains.

The report, released ahead of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31), where governments are expected to present their climate commitments, provides the first comprehensive analysis of the economic and fiscal returns from implementing six WHO-recommended climate and health actions at scale.

Speaking on the findings, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the climate crisis was also a health crisis, but much of its impact could be prevented through interventions already available.

He said scaling up affordable and proven measures could save millions of lives, particularly in countries that needed them most, stressing that protecting public health should be central to international climate negotiations.

The report estimated that implementing the six interventions could prevent one in every 40 deaths globally, based on modelled projections. It also projected that the resulting emissions reduction would be equivalent to 31 per cent of global annual greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use, land use change and forestry.

On the financial returns, WHO noted that every dollar invested in five of the six measures could generate an estimated $24 in benefits, with low- and middle-income countries expected to record particularly significant gains.

Among the interventions, heat-health warning systems were identified as particularly cost-effective, with an estimated return of $835 for every dollar invested.

The report attributed the high returns to their ability to leverage existing systems to anticipate extreme heat conditions and enable authorities and communities to take preventive measures against heat-related illnesses and deaths at relatively low costs.

However, efficient fossil fuel pricing policies, including removing inefficient subsidies and appropriately taxing fossil fuels, were projected to deliver the largest overall gains.

According to the report, implementing these policies could prevent 1.2 million deaths annually, generate $3 trillion in economic welfare benefits and deliver an additional $5.4 trillion in fiscal gains.

The other recommended interventions include expanding access to climate-resilient drinking water services, basic sanitation facilities, hygiene and handwashing facilities, as well as cleaner household fuels and technologies for cooking and heating.

WHO said the measures would not only reduce exposure to climate-related health risks but also address broader public health challenges, particularly in vulnerable communities where inadequate infrastructure and limited access to essential services increase the effects of climate shocks.

The organisation stressed that achieving these benefits would require coordinated action beyond the health sector, involving other sectors responsible for water, sanitation, energy and environmental policies.

With countries facing increasingly severe climate shocks in 2026, WHO called on governments, development partners and financing institutions to accelerate investments in the interventions.

It said the economic evidence demonstrated that protecting health should be treated as a central component of climate action, rather than a separate development priority, adding that the measures offered governments an opportunity to save lives, reduce emissions and strengthen their economies simultaneously.