Thank you, Minister Memişoğlu, and thank you, President Kurum
Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends
I thank Türkiye for opening COP31 with a Health Day, and for putting health at the heart of an Implementation COP
Everyone in this room knows that the climate crisis is a health crisis
Around 3.5 billion people live in places highly vulnerable to climate change
Air pollution, much of it from burning fossil fuels, kills around 7 million people every year, as we all know
Heat, floods and drought are filling emergency departments, interrupting essential services and putting health workers themselves at risk
And with a very strong El Niño expected to shape the weather well into 2027, the pressure on health systems is likely to grow
Health has come a long way in the climate process
In Glasgow, countries committed to build climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems
In Dubai, the first Health Day at a COP and the Declaration on Climate and Health put health firmly on the agenda
In Brazil last year, countries launched the Belém Health Action Plan, now endorsed by 39 countries
Today the launch of the Antalya Initiative for Health Resilience gives countries a practical way to learn from each other
Each of those steps was driven by health ministers. But declarations do not protect people. Implementation does
Many of your ministries took part in the 2025 WHO Health and Climate Change Global Survey. Your message was clear
You know what needs to be done. What is missing is the means to do it
More than 90% of countries named insufficient finance as a top barrier to implementing their national health and climate change plans
About 80% named insufficient capacity
This is the gap this Implementation COP must close
And the case for closing it is compelling
A new WHO analysis shows that six priority climate-health actions could save 1.6 million lives a year. Five of them would return around 24 dollars for every dollar invested
Few investments open to any government offer that kind of return. That is the case to take to your ministers of finance
Today, I have three requests
First, implement the Belém Health Action Plan, and join, renew and report your commitments through the WHO Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health
Tomorrow, the Alliance will meet at the Health Pavilion to look at the progress countries are making, and the obstacles they face. I encourage you to take part
I also urge you to share your own experience through the Antalya Initiative: what worked, what did not, and what it cost
Second, sit down with your colleagues in finance, environment and energy, to cost and budget for the impacts of climate change on health
And put health in your national adaptation plans and nationally determined contributions or NDCs
WHO’s economic evidence and technical guidance are there to support you
Third, elevate health in the negotiations
Health is the human face of climate change. It belongs in the negotiated text
It should be an explicit eligibility area for climate finance, and its share should grow as adaptation finance grows
Ministers of health are the first to see what climate change does to their people
You should also be among the first to be heard when climate decisions are made
WHO will be your partner at every step, here in Antalya, at COP32 and beyond
Tesekiur eder, I thank you
