Call to tackle climate change impact on health

South East Asian leaders and experts at a regional conference yesterday stressed taking integrated measures unitedly to tackle the adverse impact of climate change on health in the region.
The South East Asian Region including Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to climate change, and nearly all adverse environmental and social effects caused by climate change ultimately threaten human health, they said.
The government of Bangladesh and the South-East Asia Regional Office of the World Health Organisation (SEARO-WHO) jointly organised the three-day conference titled 'South-East Asia Regional High Level Preparatory meeting for the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change' at Hotel Sheraton in the city.
Health and Family Welfare Minister AFM Ruhal Haque formally inaugurated the conference as chief guest while PM's Adviser on Health and Social Welfare Prof Modassar Ali and State Minister for Environment and Forests Hasan Mahmud addressed the session as special guests. SEARO-WHO Regional Director Dr Samlee Plianbangchang presided over the session.
Addressing the conference, Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque said environmental change is occurring all over the world and taking its toll.
Referring to the several devastating incidents caused by climate change, he said millions of people will be displaced if the sea level will rise by one or two metres.
He stressed the need for combined regional efforts in protecting human health from the impacts of climate change.
The health minister also urged the South East Asian leaders to raise their voices against the problem by placing specific recommendations at the next climate conference in Mexico to press home the regional demand.
Samlee Plianbangchang said strengthening control of diseases of poverty is essential to protect the most vulnerable populations.
Eleven countries under SEARO-WHO including Bangladesh are taking part in the conference.