Ministry of Health warns citizens against climate crisis at COP31

The General Directorate of Health Promotion informs citizens about the health effects of the climate crisis by opening a stand at the Resilient Cities Pavilion in the Green Zone within the scope of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Antalya.

General Director of Health Promotion, Kenan Volkan Demirel, told the AA correspondent that they will organize 31 panels at their stands during the COP, and that a wide range of panelists, from healthcare professionals to academics, will accompany them.

Demirel explained that the panels will also cover the health effects of the climate crisis, its interactions on child and maternal health, and issues related to green transformation and digitalization, and said:

"As the Ministry of Health, we are carrying out green transformation in our buildings over 2 thousand square meters. We are carrying out serious studies on these. We have also carried out serious studies on exhaust emissions by reaching 4.5 million citizens in home health services. Our Ministry of Health actually wants to give the following message at COP31. The climate crisis is also a health crisis. Why do we say this? World Health Organization data also clearly states this. If this climate crisis progresses, it states that unfortunately one in every 12 hospitals will have problems in terms of service. Air He says that 546 thousand people die every year due to the increase in temperature. "Every minute we speak, one person dies due to extreme temperatures."

"Protect the climate, protect the future, protect health" motto

Demirel stated that taking the information announced by the World Health Organization, transforming it into social awareness, and then making an action plan in a way that people can understand is among the main service elements.

Pointing out that, as the Ministry of Health, they act with the motto "Protect the climate, protect the future, protect health", Demirel said:

"Everyone, from the World Health Organization to the experts in this field, says this is the solution. In this sense, we are trying to increase the green transformation especially in hospitals. We will be and continue to be stakeholders in all studies, from solar power plants to zero waste projects. However, this does not only depend on the ministry, but also on the movement of the society and the awareness of the society on this issue. I hope that we, as the ministry, will provide the best information we can to our citizens."