The Ministry of Health and Social Security has announced the update of the UAE National Framework on Climate Change and its Impact on Health as part of efforts to combat climate change and the effects of air pollution on health.

The framework launched by the Ministry, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and in collaboration with relevant government agencies at the state level, aims to address the impact of climate change on health and ensure the well-being of community members.

This happened during a session organized by the ministry as part of the proceedings of the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) hosted by the United Arab Emirates at Expo City Dubai.

The national framework focuses on several axes: governance, policies and participation to protect health from climate change and resilient health systems to address climate change through robust monitoring, early warning and response. In addition to mobilizing support for improving the public health response to climate change.

Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al-Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health at the Ministry of Health and Social Security, said: “A proactive response to climate change in the health sector in the UAE is one of the government’s priorities. The Ministry of Health and Social Security recognizes that having tools to monitor, control and predict disease is a pillar. “This is essential in achieving the declaration of establishing a world-leading health system and renewing the UAE’s national framework. Climate change and its impact on health is part of its efforts and interest to implement effective measures to prevent the impact of climate change and air pollution on health.

Al-Rand added: “The Ministry worked with its partners to update the national framework by benefiting from its previous experiences when it was launched in 2019, as this update keeps pace with climate changes and changes occurring globally, and helps. Anticipate the consequences of this issue and its implications for changing disease patterns in order to protect the health and well-being of community members.

session

Head of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Dr. Maysoun Al-Shali and Dr Mazen Malkawi, representative of the World Health Organization, participated in a discussion session following the announcement. National framework, health and environmental policy makers, in the presence of an elite group of experts and health professionals, and climate change, a group of researchers and people interested in climate issues.

The session saw discussions on the importance of the UAE National Framework on Climate Change and Health as it has a strategic response to the public health challenges posed by climate change and ensures its effectiveness and continuity in line with global best practices. Health challenges associated with climate change.

The session focused on addressing current policies on climate change and health, how to integrate climate change into health policies and strategies, improve community participation, raise awareness of the health impacts of climate change, and improve intergovernmental collaboration. , the private sector and international organizations discuss the importance of establishing robust monitoring systems to monitor impacts and climate-related health.

Strengthen

Dr. Maysoun Al-Shali stressed that expert discussions of health and environmental policymakers and climate change experts will improve the effectiveness of this framework and contribute to the development of evidence-based policies and strategies that address the health effects of climate change. To transform and ensure the well-being of populations, the exchange of knowledge, experiences and best practices among participants leads to increased awareness and capacity building of climate change and its impact on health.

It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Health and Social Security, as part of its efforts to update the UAE National Framework on Climate Change and its Impact on Health, organized training workshops on measuring and assessing the impacts of climate change. It was discussed, in collaboration with the World Health Organization Regional Office and relevant government agencies in the country, that these workshops included methods and ways to assess the risks of air pollution on health, and implementation of more. Group exercises to measure and assess health vulnerability to climate change and evaluate existing response and adaptation options in the health sector.