Asked about the escalating criticism of the World Health Organization’s policies and its close affiliations with the Chinese Communist Party, billionaire Bill Gates, and Big Pharma, WHO Director of Environment, Climate Change and Health Dr. Maria Neira said the agency’s agenda was based on “science.” However, the WHO is “very happy” to discuss concerns with the incoming administration, she said.
Climate change is a public health crisis that must be dealt with as such, Dr. Neira continued, noting that global warming could affect food production or air quality. Among the lessons that could be learned from COVID and applied to climate change is that scientists must collaborate across borders, she said.
The “climate transition” will also be beneficial to public health, she said. Dr. Neira also touted the WHO’s role in the implementation of UN 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goal 3, which promotes vaccines, “reproductive healthcare,” “mental health,” and more. All of the SDGs are related to each other, she continued, offering examples.
