No Public Health Without Planetary Health

“Fighting climate change today is the best public health opportunity.” – Maria Neira, the World Health Organization

“We are all responsible for the health of the planet.” – Emma Te-Patu, World Federation of Public Health Associations

As the world continues to navigate the long-term impacts of COVID-19, conversations about global health security have expanded beyond pandemic preparedness alone. Public health leaders increasingly recognize that the health of people, communities, and health systems cannot be separated from the health of the planet.

This connection was the focus of the plenary session “No Public Health Without Planetary Health” at the 17th World Congress on Public Health in Rome. The message remains just as relevant today as the global public health community prepares for the 18th World Congress on Public Health in Cape Town, South Africa, under the theme “Health Without Borders: Equity, Inclusion and Sustainability.”

What Does “No Public Health Without Planetary Health” Mean?

The concept of planetary health recognizes that human health depends on thriving natural systems. Clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food, stable ecosystems, and a safe climate form the foundation of population health.

In an increasingly interconnected world, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change are no longer solely environmental concerns. They are public health concerns.

As Emma Te-Patu, WFPHA Immediate Past President and Māori public health leader, explains:

“There is no such thing as the health of only one country. We are all responsible for the health of the planet and understanding and drawing on the Indigenous people’s knowledge systems that have been in place from time immemorial and authentically engaging with this knowledge and using it to inform our global health needs collectively and from an understanding that health is a human right and is, therefore, a priority above all.”

Why Planetary Health Matters for Global Public Health

Promoting global health is a vital mission in an interconnected world. It requires cooperation among governments, public health organizations, healthcare professionals, educators, volunteers, advocates, and communities.

Ms. Te-Patu identifies five priorities that are essential to strengthening public health globally:

Decolonizing Public Health

Removing systemic barriers to equity and ensuring that diverse knowledge systems, including Indigenous perspectives, are meaningfully included in public health decision-making.

Proper Resourcing of Public Health

Sustainable investment is necessary to strengthen health systems and improve preparedness for future challenges.

Legislative Accountability

Countries need legislative mechanisms that ensure accountability for protecting and advancing public health.

Growing the Public Health Workforce

A resilient public health workforce is critical to responding to emerging health threats and improving population health outcomes.

Accessible and Relevant Public Health Education

Public health education must remain accessible, evidence-based, and responsive to contemporary challenges.

The Biggest Threats to Public Health

Ms. Te-Patu also highlights several major barriers to improving public health outcomes:

• Ego and the commercial financial imperative
• Reactionary responses rather than strategic responses
• Lack of proper resourcing

These challenges become even more significant when viewed through the lens of climate change and planetary health.

Why Climate Change Is a Public Health Threat

Global crises are increasingly interconnected. Climate change affects food systems, water security, air quality, disease patterns, displacement, and economic stability.

As a result, climate change is widely recognized as one of the defining public health challenges of the 21st century.

Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health at the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasizes the breadth of its impact:

“Climate change is definitely touching all the pillars and supports of our health: access to food, to safe drinking water, and to clean air. It is changing the way we will protect our health and the way we need to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.”

She adds:

“People need to understand that climate change is not just something that will happen to the planet in the future, but it is affecting our health right now: it affects our lungs, and it causes diseases. We are already paying for it.”

Climate Change and Health: What the Evidence Shows

According to the World Health Organization:

• Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths each year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoeal disease, and heat stress.
• Direct health-related costs are estimated to reach USD 2–4 billion annually by 2030, excluding costs in sectors such as agriculture, water, and sanitation.

These impacts are not distributed equally.

Low-income countries and vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by:

• Sea-level rise
• Extreme weather events
• Food insecurity
• Water scarcity
• Forced migration

The result is a growing challenge for public health systems worldwide.

Healthy Environments Are Public Health Investments

Environmental risks continue to drive preventable illness and death.

As Maria Neira notes:

“We know that an unhealthy environment is responsible for 13 million deaths every year due to the lack of safe water or the lack of clean air.”

She further highlights that:

“The toxic air alone kills 7 million people annually.”

Creating healthier environments supports access to:

• Safe drinking water
• Safe food
• Clean air
• Healthier ecosystems

It also helps address emerging concerns such as plastic pollution and microplastics in the food chain.

Planetary Health, Pandemic Preparedness, and Global Health Security

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities and inequities across health systems worldwide.

Strengthening global resilience requires investment not only in emergency response but also in prevention, surveillance, research, and environmental sustainability.

Ms. Te-Patu identifies several priorities for improving global health security:

A Strong Pandemic Treaty

An international instrument designed to prepare the world better for future pandemics.

Greater Civil Society Engagement

Public health decisions should include meaningful consultation with communities and civil society organizations.

Continued Decolonization of Public Health

Health systems are stronger when they reflect diverse experiences, perspectives, and knowledge systems.

Stronger Collaboration Across Public Health Communities

International, regional, national, and local actors must work together to address shared challenges.

Government Transparency

Clear and transparent communication is essential for building trust and improving public health outcomes.

Health Without Borders: Looking Ahead

The relationship between planetary health and public health remains one of the defining issues of our time.

As Maria Neira concludes:

“We are all citizens of the world now. Pandemics do not recognize borders, so a united international response is vital. The same approach is used when we deal with the environment. If, for example, we do the deforestation in the Amazonia, in one way or another, it will affect all of us.”

This message strongly resonates with the theme of the 18th World Congress on Public Health in Cape Town, South Africa: “Health Without Borders: Equity, Inclusion and Sustainability.”

Whether addressing climate change, environmental degradation, pandemic preparedness, or health inequities, the principle remains the same:

There Is No Public Health Without Planetary Health

Protecting population health requires protecting the systems that sustain life itself. Climate action, environmental stewardship, Indigenous knowledge, equitable health systems, and global cooperation are not separate agendas. They are fundamental components of a healthier, more sustainable future for all.