Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), recommended that $600 billion annual subsidies for fossil fuels be diverted to renewable energy development, healthcare facilities and infrastructure in low-income countries. His speech took place at a forum on the environment and human health in Budapest, WHO’s press service in Geneva reported.
Ghebreyesus noted that every year more than 1.4 million people in the European Region and more than 13 million people worldwide die prematurely due to air pollution, water pollution and other preventable environmental factors. He highlighted the need to steer and change the course of nearly $600 billion a year of public investment in subsidies for fossil fuels, cheap, reliable and renewable energy, medical facilities and other critical infrastructure in low-income countries.
The WHO Director-General said that the transition from fossil fuels to green energy will help eliminate the main causes of climate change, reduce environmental pollution, improve human health and protect biodiversity.
Ghebreyesus also emphasized that the climate-related crisis is currently one of the main factors affecting people’s health. He reminded me of the El Niño event, which, according to the forecasts of the World Meteorological Organization, is expected to occur in the second half of this year and may cause an increase in temperature in some parts of the planet. Ghebreyesus noted that Monday was the hottest day on record and extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, hurricanes and heatwaves that harm human health are expected in the coming months.
Previously at the Ministry of Health in your name Average life expectancy of Russians in 2023.