Closing Remarks by Dr Adham Ismail, officer in charge WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region at the COP31 Side Event: Adaptation without a baseline: climate change and health in[...]

13 November 2026

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, partners and friends,

Thank you to our panelists for sharing their experiences, to UNU Global Health, our co-host, and to everyone who has contributed to this important discussion.

Today, we have confronted a fundamental challenge. Extreme heat showed us how much harm can stay invisible when information systems are weak.

The countries most vulnerable to climate change are often those least equipped to measure its impact on health.

And without reliable data, they face another obstacle: accessing the financing needed to protect their populations.

This creates a dangerous cycle.

Countries lack the resources to build strong surveillance and information systems.

Yet without those systems, they struggle to demonstrate the evidence required to secure climate adaptation funding.

We cannot allow the absence of data to become another form of inequality.

Our discussions today point to three priorities.

First, we must make climate adaptation finance accessible to fragile and conflict-affected countries.

Funding requirements must reflect the realities on the ground. Countries should not be excluded because conflict, displacement or emergencies have disrupted their ability to collect data.

Second, we must invest in the systems that generate evidence and protect lives.

Climate-informed disease surveillance, early warning systems, trained health workers and resilient health facilities are not optional extras.

They are essential investments in climate adaptation.

And building the evidence base must be part of adaptation itself, not a condition that countries must meet before receiving support.

Third, we must turn plans into action.

Countries need practical solutions that work with the information and resources available today.

That means supporting nationally owned health adaptation plans, sharing experience across borders and ensuring that technical and financial partners work together rather than creating parallel initiatives.

The draft regional technical position presented today offers an opportunity to advance this work.

I encourage Member States, academic institutions and partners to contribute to the consultation and help us develop guidance that responds to the realities of fragile settings.

WHO will continue working with countries across our Region to strengthen climate resilience, guided by the Operational Action Plan for Climate Change and Health 2026-2029.

Climate resilience must not be a privilege reserved for countries with the strongest health systems and the most complete data.

It must be within reach of those facing the greatest risks.

Start with the evidence we have. Build the evidence we need. And act now to protect lives.