Funding urged to back markets facing healthcare issues from climate crisis

The UK government declared offering GBP100m for markets hit by infectious diseases.

Cash assistance is needed to support markets which will be facing healthcare challenges such as insect-borne illnesses due to the climate crisis, said GlobalData.

The UK government announced during COP28 that it would provide GBP100mn to back markets that are most hit by flooding and infectious diseases. 

The WHO estimates that air pollution is responsible for 7 million premature deaths each year, with cardiovascular and circulatory diseases in particular common consequences of heightened air pollution.

"However, there is also a growing burden of infectious diseases, particularly mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and chikungunya virus, due to climate change," read the statement.

This is due to warmer temperatures, which improves chances for infected mosquitos to reproduce, and also expands the geographic range in which they can survive.

"We expect this will prompt increased vaccine R&D as well as partnerships and collaborations to enhance vaccine development and accessibility," read the statement.

More than 140 countries, including the EU, agreed to endorse the Declaration on Climate and Health during Health Day.

This includes a pledge of US$300m from the Global Fund, which is an international financing and partnership organisation that seeks to fight infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, to help prepare health systems for climate change.

The Rockefeller Foundation also pledged US$100m to scale up climate and health solutions to help low-income countries mitigate, withstand and respond to the rising health impacts of climate change.