HON DR LALABALAVU ADDRESSES COP28 WHO CLIMATE CHANGE SIDE MINISTERIAL MEETING

At COP28, leaders and experts from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), including Antigua and Barbuda, Fiji, the Maldives and Samoa, have continued to exemplify their leadership in climate action through enhanced transparency and evidence-based climate policies.

SIDS countries face mounting climate change challenges yet are demonstrating remarkable resilience and leadership. They are among the most vulnerable countries to the adverse impacts of climate change, making global climate action not just a matter of urgency but a question of survival. Despite their negligible contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions, they are actively advancing their mitigation efforts and leading the charge by championing transparency as a critical driver of climate action and sustainable development.

Fiji’s Minister for Health and Medical Services, Hon. Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu spoke at the WHO Climate Change SIDS Ministerial meeting on the subject of ‘Health in the COP28 negotiations with SIDS lens’, held at the Monash Pavilion.

Hon Dr Lalabalavu said that every climatic event will have an effect on human health through its impact on the environmental determinants of health – that is, clean air; adequate safe or potable water, sanitation and hygiene; food security; and adequate shelter. “For Fiji and the Pacific region, the impact of Climate Change on health is no longer a theoretical proposition, but an everyday reality. Health systems are the first line of defence for populations faced with emerging health threats, including climate change.

Hon Dr Lalabalavu told the gathering that Fiji experienced 20 cyclones from 2010 to 2022 which caused devastating damages to health infrastructure; 16 health facilities were significantly damaged by these storms and four (4) are yet to be rebuilt.

“So climate change not only affects people’s health directly as an immediate impact, it also affects the environmental determinants of health producing medium and long term impact, as well as inflicting impacts that can be crippling on the health systems that look after the people”. Hon Dr Lalabalavu added that together with the Government effort, the health ministry in Fiji has taken on the climate change challenge with the implementation of the ‘Piloting Climate Change Adaptation to Protect Human Health (PCCAPHH) to enhance the capacity of Fiji’s health sector to respond effectively to climate sensitive diseases.

The key outcomes of the project include; Identification of Fiji’s climate sensitive diseases; Setting up of the Early Warning System (EWARS) to predict outbreaks of climate-sensitive communicable diseases like dengue and typhoid fever, leptospirosis and diarrhoeal illnesses. Hon Dr Lalabalavu added that in 2016, the Health Ministry published the Climate Change and Health Strategic Action Plan (CCHSAP 2016 – 2020) which focused on building a climate resilient health system.

In 2020, continuing from the lessons learned from CCHSAP, Fiji implemented the 5-year KOICA-WHO funded Strengthening Health Adaptation Project (SHAPE): responding to climate change in Fiji.

Whilst working in close collaboration with development partners such as the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Australian Aid (DFAT), New Zealand Aid (MFAT), and UN agencies such as WHO, UNDP, and UNICEF, the Ministry will continue to enhance donor coordination to raise the visibility of climate change actions.