Welcome to the Belém Health Action Library!
This living library showcases diverse and cross-cutting actions that health systems around the world are taking to adapt, build resilience, and protect communities in the face of climate change. It highlights real-world examples of innovation and impact - showcasing what works, what’s been learned, and how others can follow suit.
This collection was developed to complement the Belém Health Action Plan and the COP30 Special Report on Health and Climate Change. Cases featured in this library are tagged according to the exposures they address, how they relate to the Belém Health Action Plan, and their alignment with components of the WHO Operational framework for building climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems.
Have an intervention to share? Submit your initiative to atach@who.int - and contribute to the growing global evidence driving climate-resilient health systems.
This library was curated by the NUS Centre for Sustainable Medicine in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Ministry of Health of Brazil and ATACH.
Building Climate and Health Leadership Capacity in Norway
This three-day course for senior clinicians and policymakers on climate change and health, led by the University of Oslo in partnership with the Norwegian Directorate of Health, strengthens leadership capacity to address climate adaptation and mitigation from within the health sector. The course content, delivery, and assessment improves with each delivery, supported by field expertise and participant feedback, making for a continuously relevant and practical course for future climate and health leaders.
Building green and safe health facilities in the Philippines
The Green and Safe Health Facilities Manual, developed by the Philippines Department of Health, platforms solutions that embed environmental sustainability, safety and climate-resilient practices into healthcare delivery. Its implementation is supported by the use of standardised compliance evaluation strategies and institutional leadership, ultimately supporting the country's ability to mobilise coordinated, data-driven healthcare sustainability practices.
Institutionalising Climate and Health Action in the Philippines
The Philippines Department of Health's dedicated Health and Climate Change Office augments their governmental capacity to implement climate-resilient, sustainble healthcare development. This office helped established clear institutional ownership, foster political will, and promotes national alignment on adaptation and mitigation solutions within the health system--actions of which are further enhanced through continued support of the WHO and key technical partners.
Bridging Amazonian Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Science
The Amazon Alliance utilizes community participation to enhance equitable decision-making while creating a holistic resilience framework through the integration of public health, disaster risk management, and climate-smart livelihoods. The initiative centres participation, trust, ownership and cross-sectoral commitment to actualizing community-led priorties related to climate and health.
Community-based health preparedness for cyclones in Bangladesh
The Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) developed in Bangladesh is a comprehensive early warning and disaster-response system that uses community-integrated strategies to improve evacuation, health outreach, and volunteer mobilization to safeguard population health amidst extreme weather.
United Kingdom: Adverse Weather and Health Plan
The UK Health Security Agency's Adverse Weather and Health Plan (AWHP) provides a unified national framework that helps protect vunerable communities from weather-related health risks through integrated coordination across local community organizations, health system, and public health surveillance systems.
Egypt: Advancing climate and health through digital resilience, leadership, and governance
In line with Egypt’s COP27 leadership, the Egyptian Healthcare Authority (EHA) launched a national sustainability drive - beginning with the first digitalization system in the public health sector. This step initiated a broader green transformation—paperless operations, water and energy efficiency, waste management, and chemical safety—leading to the Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital becoming Egypt’s first Green Hospital.
Lao PDR: Integration of Health in NDCs
With coordination and technical support from the NDC Partnership, Lao PDR is updating its NDC 3.0 Mitigation and Adaptation Commitment which includes priority sector-specific strategies and action plans covering the 2021-2025...