Environment, Climate Change and Health

We pursue a healthier environment by strengthening health sector leadership, building mechanisms for political and social support and monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals regarding environmental threats to health.

About us

Technical areas of work

Air Quality, Energy and Health

Chemical Safety and Health

Children’s environmental health

Climate Change and Health

Healthy urban environments

Occupational health

Radiation and health

Water Sanitation and Health (WASH)

Settings & populations

Highlight

19 – 25 October 2025

International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2025 - No safe level: act now to end lead exposure

News

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24 September 2025

Departmental update

Countries making unprecedented efforts, but billions still lack basic services in health care facilities - WHO/UNICEF new report warns

Departmental update

1 in 4 people globally still lack access to safe drinking water – WHO, UNICEF

Joint News Release

WHO, WMO issue new report and guidance to protect workers from increasing heat stress

Departmental update

Outcomes of the Fifth Global Conference on Climate and Health

Speech

13 December 2024

WHO Director-General's statement at the International Court of Justice - Responding to the Climate Change Health Crisis - 13 December 2024

Features

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Air pollution: The invisible health threat

Events

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10 – 21 November 2025

COP30 Health Pavilion

International lead poisoning prevention week

19 – 25 October 2025

International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2025 - No safe level: act now to end lead exposure

25 September 2025

Webinar: Integrating Health into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

Commentaries

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For centuries we have plundered our planet. Now we are paying the price

Our strategy

WHO global strategy on health, environment and climate change: the transformation needed to improve lives and wellbeing sustainably through healthy environments

The new strategy is timely – it responds to and is in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the GPW13.

Calls for

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Call for proposals

Call for event proposals at the COP30 Health Pavilion (closed)

Expression of interest

Call for expressions of interest: Developing legislation for skin-lightening products containing mercury

Publications

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WHO global water, sanitation and hygiene: annual report 2024

The WHO Results Report 2024–2025 indicates that global access to safely managed drinking-water services rose from 71.0% in 2018 to a projected 87.3%...

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Green spaces: sectoral solutions for air pollution and health

Exposure to green spaces is widely associated with health benefits, including mental (e.g. reduced risk of depression and anxiety), physical (e.g. improved...

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Understanding the health impacts of sand and dust storms

Sand and dust storms (SDS) result from turbulent winds that raise large quantities of particles from the ground into the air in emission areas. Emission...

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WASH in hc facilities global report sept 25

This report provides the latest progress in ensuring universal access to water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), waste and electricity services in health care...

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Videos

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Safeguard yourself from the heat

Safeguard yourself from the heat

Symptoms of heat-related illnesses

Symptoms of heat-related illnesses

#KeepCool in the heat: Outside

#KeepCool in the heat: At home

Infographics highlight

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Main Heat Vulnerability Factors

Heat waves

SunSmart Global UV App can be used to help protect yourself when you are outside

Help others who suffer from heat

During a heatwave, help others who suffer from the heat

Tools

AIDE-MÉMOIRES: Briefs by environment, climate change and health topic for country action

Essential information to support action

Air pollution and health training toolkit for health workers (APHT)

A set of materials designed to enable health workers, in both the clinical and public health fields, to understand the health risks of air pollution and identify risk reduction measures.

Compendium of WHO and other UN guidance on health and environment

Global repository of interventions for creating healthier environments and improving health. It provides an overview and easy access of 500 actions, and a framework for thinking about health and environment interventions.

Graphic banner of the Health and Environment scorecards

Health and environment country scorecards

The Health and environment scorecards aim to provide a quick snapshot of where countries stand on managing six major environmental threats to health: air pollution, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), climate change, exposure to chemicals, radiation, and occupational health.

HEAT tool for walking and cycling

Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) for walking and cycling: HEAT for walking and cycling is a user-friendly, web-based tool used to estimate the health and economic impacts of increased walking and cycling.

Doctors attend to patients in the COVID-19 ICU of the Philippine General Hospital in Manila. They are among the first Filipinos to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country

Occupational hazards in the health sector

This e-tool is intended for use by people in charge of occupational health and safety for health workers at the national, subnational and facility levels and for health workers who want to know what WHO and ILO recommend for the protection of their health and safety

SunSmart Global UV App

Free application for mobile devices that describes the level of solar UV radiation at a specific location. It also provides time slots when to apply sun protection measures, in an effort to reduce the global burden of skin cancer and UV-related eye damage.

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WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury

The WHO/ILO Joint Estimates quantify the number of deaths and amount of health loss (disability-adjusted life years or DALYs) caused by occupational risk factors.

Children under solar panels

WHO Manifesto for a healthy recovery from COVID-19

WHO prescriptions for a healthy, green recovery from COVID-19 that will help steer governments towards a healthier, fairer, and greener world.

Our work

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Promoting biodiversity conservation for climate and health

Raising awareness on ultraviolet radiation

Boosting climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services

Building capacity on climate change and human health

Campaigns and initiaves

thermometer on orange sky background

Flagship Initiative against extreme heat and related environmental health risks in workplaces and major events

BreatheLife: A global campaign for clean air

International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2025

WHO – WMO Joint Climate and Health Programme

Q&As

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Workplace heat stress

Heatwaves: How to stay cool

Air pollution: Reducing short-lived climate pollutants

WHO’s Fifth WHO Air Quality Database of over 6000 Cities

Climate change: Land degradation and desertification

Fact sheets

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Sand and dust storms

24 October 2024

Ambient (outdoor) air pollution

16 October 2024

Household air pollution

Electricity in health-care facilities

Facts in pictures

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13 September 2024

Children's environmental health

E-waste and Child Health

Urban Health Initiative: Accra story

5 February 2021

Cholera

Health topics

Chemical safety

Children's environmental health

Environmental health

Health impact assessment

Occupational health

Radiation emergencies

Ultraviolet radiation

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)