With the annual United Nations (UN) climate conference, COP28, due to start at the end of the month, climate-vulnerable countries have reiterated that wealthy countries should cut down their carbon emissions, provide finance to vulnerable countries, and help with technology transfer so all countries can transition to a greener economy faster.  Meanwhile, recent meetings between […] Continue reading ->
In the worst week of air pollution in the Indian capital this winter, rural farm fires on average contributed to 25% of urban pollution concentrations. Hundreds of kilometres to the north, Punjab, the main source of the pollution, had missed a government-declared target to halve the number of seasonal crop stubble fires – although progress […] Continue reading ->
Amidst a global chorus calling for urgent action on climate change, major fossil fuel producers are doubling down on their plans to expand production, defying climate science and “throwing humanity’s future into question”, a UN report revealed on Wednesday. The report, compiled by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with academic partners, scrutinized […] Continue reading ->
Snakebite is a complex and neglected issue that requires a multifactorial strategy, including conservation, community engagement, scientific research and robust healthcare delivery, according to experts who recently participated in a Global Health Matters podcast. In the most recent episode of Global Health Matters, host Garry Aslanyan speaks with Fan Hui Wen and Thea Litschka-Koen, snakebite […] Continue reading ->
Within hours, the Delhi government closed schools and announced traffic and construction curbs, but experts are questioning whether the government is tackling the right causes. Meanwhile, a database reporting the contribution of pollution from farm fires has been discontinued by the national government. The air quality forecast remains bleak. Delhi’s air pollution suddenly got a […] Continue reading ->
A group of international health organisations representing 46 million healthcare workers, has published an open letter to the COP28 president Dr Ahmed Al Jaber demanding an “end to the fossil fuel era” at the upcoming UN Climate Conference in Dubai (29 November-12 December). Al Jaber, is the United Arab Emirates Minister of Industry and Advanced […] Continue reading ->
Human activity is pushing the world towards multiple tipping points that will cause rapid and fundamental change to the planet, according to a new report by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS). The Interconnected Disaster Risks report, released on Wednesday, identifies six key tipping points: accelerating extinctions, groundwater depletion, mountain […] Continue reading ->
The world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters are doing very little to address air pollution, with Saudi Arabia scoring worst of the group, according to a new global air pollution evaluation released on Wednesday. The 2023 Clean Air Scorecard analyses how governments’ climate commitments – called nationally determined contributions (NDCs) – recognise and contribute to ensuring […] Continue reading ->
BERLIN –  A draft  “health and climate ministerial declaration” set to be released at the upcoming UN Climate Conference in Dubai (COP28) 30 November-12 December, omits any reference to fossil fuels and their health harms, Health Policy Watch has learned.  While the declaration mentions the need for climate mitigation, as well as the related health […] Continue reading ->