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WHO Collaborates with Islamic Republic of Iran in Strengthening National Climate Change Adaptation Plan

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Iran
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UNCT Iran
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Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME) of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Center for Environmental and Occupational Health, hosted a two-day (22-23 Oct. 2019) workshop on “Climate Change Health Vulnerability Assessment” in Tehran.

The workshop facilitated development/updating information about vulnerability as the first step to develop the national climate change adaptation plan within the health system through assistance of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country.

The main purpose of the workshop was receiving technical support of WHO on vulnerability assessment of health system to climate change enabling MoHME in developing and operationalizing health policy in climate change through coordination of the health and non-health sectors in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

WHO has recruited an internationally re-known consultant on climate change health vulnerability assessment to facilitate capacity building, sharing of global knowledge and experience with national team of experts in collaboration with the Institute for Environment Research (IER) of Tehran University of Medical Silences (TUMS).

The climate change vulnerability assessment of health system in Iran is being conducted to strengthen the capacity of the country towards climate-related impacts on health, including occupational diseases, non-communicable disease, vector-borne diseases, water and food borne diseases, climate-related disasters, and air pollution.

Dr Rahim Taghizadeh, Professional Officer of WHO country office-Iran, has reiterated on the importance of close collaboration of health and non-health sector in this process and stated that “this collaborative exercise is a momentum of developing a comprehensive data and evidence-based adaptation plan for health system”.

Since climate change is a global threat to the humanity and has serious impacts on human health, wellbeing, livelihoods, and societies, WHO at an international level has been involved in various ways in the identification of the health impacts of climate change, political advocacy and developing guidelines for protecting health from climate change.

“Climate change vulnerability assessment in countries is an opportunity for them to improve resilience and better planning for development according to rigorous data and evidences” said Dr. Michele Faberi, WHO international consultant on climate change.

Climate change indicates changes in the average daily temperature, weather condition (increase of precipitation, extreme heat waves), water level (groundwater and surface water decrease, floods, sea level rise), climatic condition (increase of sand or dust storm), and seasonal and animal migration periods. The health impacts of these changes are not only associated with worsening air quality, extreme cold or hot weather conditions, and agricultural changes, it also links to stress and anxiety, animal-related infections, and flooding and water contamination.