Parliamentarians from 20 Asian and Pacific nations have declared the climate crisis a critical threat to human health in the region.

A forum on global health hosted by Fiji made the statement as part of the ‘Nadi Communique’.

Speaker of Parliament Ratu Epeli Nailatikau chaired the meeting and said climate change was one of the greatest threats to health with immense implications for societies and economies.

Ratu Epeli adds that increasingly frequent and severe weather events mean there are more injuries and deaths, higher rates of infectious and mosquito-borne diseases, as well as food and nutrition insecurity.

He said that the climate crisis is also a threat to safe drinking water, housing, and employment opportunities and has an impact on people’s mental health.

The Western Pacific regional director for the World Health Organisation, Takeshi Kasai, stressed the need for widespread climate action policies.

Dr. Kasai adds that climate change is not just a scientific argument, it is a real threat to people and he called for politicians to drive positive policy change because, without health, people have nothing.

The 5th Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health included lawmakers from Cambodia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Japan, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Viet Nam.