Climate change is becoming an increasingly pressing public health challenge for Cyprus, Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides said during a multilateral meeting in Geneva held on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly. The high-level discussions focused on the critical work of the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health (PECHH) and were organized by the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe.

Addressing the forum, Charalambides described climate change as an "immediate and growing public health challenge" for Cyprus. He stressed that the country fully supports the PECHH recommendations and now views climate and health as "interlinked and inseparable policy priorities."

To counter these emerging threats, the Minister highlighted that Cyprus is actively strengthening its national adaptation strategy by focusing on:

• Improved emergency preparedness across medical networks
• Enhanced governance and cross-sector cooperation
• Systematic risk assessment and evidence-based policymaking

Despite these proactive steps, Charalambides acknowledged that major hurdles lie ahead, particularly the increasing pressure on healthcare infrastructure from extreme climate events. He concluded by emphasizing that building true resilience will require coordinated national action, systematic prevention, and much stronger international cooperation to share modern health policymaking practices.

Source: CNA(ΚΥΠΕ)