This report examines the landscape of extreme heat management among United Nations entities and International Organizations for the first time, identifying challenges, opportunities, and strategies for improving collaboration and governance to support the United Nations Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat.
WHO – WMO Joint Climate and Health Programme
Our Vision: Better health and wellbeing for all—especially those facing extreme weather, climate change, and environmental threats—through the integration of climate, environment, and health science and services.
WHO / Michalis Karagiannis
©
Credits
Climate change, extreme weather, air and water pollution, and other environmental risks are growing health threats. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working together to help countries protect health in a changing climate.
WMO and WHO have joined efforts to support Members to improve how climate, weather, and environmental information is generated and used in public health decision-making. The 2023-2033 Implementation Plan for Advancing Integrated Climate,Environment, and Health Science and Services outlines the priorities which guide this programme.
A Joint Programme office located at the WMO Secretariat in Geneva, provides technical and coordination support for this programme. The Joint Programme supports countries and partners by strengthening collaboration, building technical capacity, and promoting the use of climate and environmental data to protect health and save lives.
What We Do
The Joint Programme:
- Provides WHO and WMO policy and technical support to improve climate services for health
- Supports research and project development and implementation
- Builds scientific and technical partnerships between climate and health communities
- Develops and promotes technical guidance and tools to help governments and other actors respond to health risks from climate and environmental change
- Hosts the Technical Support Unit of the Global Heat Health Information Network, an independent, voluntary, and member-driven forum of scientists, practitioners, and policy makers helping to increase awareness and capacity to better manage and adapt to the health risks of dangerously hot weather in a changing climate.
- Maintains ClimaHealth.info, a global hub for climate and health relevant resources, tools, and country data.
Focus Areas
The Joint Programme Office coordinates and promotes cross-cutting actions in policy, capacity building, research, communication, monitoring, and operational services – which help address four global health challenges:
- Urban Climate and Health
Reducing risks from heat, wildfires, pollution, and other urban hazards. - Infectious Diseases
Helping countries predict and respond to climate-sensitive disease outbreaks. - Climate and Nutrition
Understanding how climate change affects food systems, nutrition, and health. - Resilient Health Systems
Supporting climate-resilient, low-carbon health care systems.
Foundational Documents:
- Cg-19 Resolution 17: Implementation Plan for Advancing Integrated Climate and Health Science and Services 2023–2033
- WHO-WMO Collaboration Framework on Climate, Environment and Health (2018) (LINK??)
- Cg-18 Resolution 33 on Advancing Integrated Health Services
- SERCOM 2 Doc 5.10 WMO Activities on Extreme Heat and Health
- SERCOM 2 Doc 5.10(1b) Operational Guidance Global Heat Health Information Network
Key publications
This synthesis report identifies best practices and persistent challenges to provide a structured framework for improving heat resilience based on evaluations of heat action plans from six countries: Australia, Canada, France, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It advocates for an adaptable governance framework, proposing that national guidance related to Heat Action Plans incorporate adaptable core elements, such as standardized heat risk definitions, clear agency roles, multi-sector coordination, and early warning systems.
This narrative analysis highlights how 12 countries are confronting the realities of extreme heat through diverse governance models, partnerships, and innovations. The case studies span multiple regions and development contexts—Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, France, India, Senegal, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, offering a cross-cutting view of what is working, where gaps remain, and how national strategies are evolving in the face of escalating climate threats.
To strengthen the integration of climate, environment, and health sciences and services in 2025, with a focus on supporting member states in responding to climate change and environmental risks
This includes early warnings systems for extreme heat, pollen monitoring to help allergy sufferers and satellite surveillance for climate-sensitive diseases.
This summary for decision-makers outlines critical investment areas to address current gaps in Climate Science and Services for Health.
This Master plan is a three-part strategy to operationalize the objectives of the WHO-WMO Collaboration Framework on Climate, Environment and Health.
It presents a common framework for developing climate services for health, and highlights common needs and good practices for co-development and health tailoring of climate services.
This guidance considers who is at risk from heat, outlines approaches to assessing heat stress, presents the science and methodologies associated with the development of HHWSs, overviews heat-intervention strategies, considers the problem of communicating heat risk and how to evaluate HHWSs and draws attention to the essential elements of summer heat plans within which HHWSs are nested.
It provides sound scientific information on the connections between weather and climate and major health challenges.
More resources
Health topics