As the UNFCCC Conference of Parties draws to an end in Lima, the voice of the health community calling for concerted action on climate change is only getting louder.

At the Lima Climate and Health Summit, health and climate leaders – including Peru’s Minister of Health, UNFCCC’s Chief of Staff, and World Bank Group Vice President – spoke about the health consequences of climate change, the co-benefits to health of climate action, and the urgent political commitments needed to turn the threat of climate change into an opportunity for better health. 

Below is a round-up of initial reports and reflections on health from the COP proceedings and side events in Lima. Watch this page for further updates as the COP comes to a close.

• Video interview: Josh Karliner, Director of Global Projects at Health Care Without Harm (HCWH), discusses the health impacts of fossil fuels and the importance of health sector engagement on climate change.

Source: http://youtu.be/EUfX3Vu5pX0?list=UUKO_mNvu63SAJimDvREEh6A

• Video interview and blog post: In a video clip, Nick Watts, Secretariat of the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA), talks about the momentum within the health community in calling for strong climate action and the importance of embedding health issues into international climate policy. In a related blog post, GCHA’s Braithwaite and Erica Parker further make the case to act on climate and health.

Source: http://youtu.be/wS_34GPpEmg?list=UUKO_mNvu63SAJimDvREEh6A

• Blog post: Kornelia Bagi, HCWH Europe’s Climate Policy and Membership Officer, shares her highlights from the Climate and Health Summit, focusing on the role of the health sector in investing, educating, and advocating for climate action. Read: COP 20 Diary: Health Saturday.
• Blog post: A delegation of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations reports on their success in both influencing the COP negotiations to include considerations of health co-benefits, and influencing the Peru Health Minister to take action on climate change. Read: How Health won COP.
• Learn more about Climate Change and Health