Shania Shayal Prasad 
[file photo]
Pacific communities are already battling the harsh health impacts of climate change from rising disease outbreaks to worsening food and water insecurity.
This is why Fiji is calling for stronger global financing to help vulnerable nations confront the growing health crisis driven by a warming planet.
Speaking at the World Health Organization’s Regional Committee meeting, Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa said that despite collective global commitments, climate financing for health remains grossly inadequate.
He states that less than five percent of all climate finance currently goes to health, a situation that, he stressed, must change.
Ravunawa says climate change and health are no longer theoretical issues for the Pacific, but daily realities that demand urgent global action.
“We continue to advocate at national, regional, and global levels, guided by our national adaptation plan, a five-year roadmap to strengthen resilience, protect health infrastructure, and build community preparedness.”
Ravunawa states the choice for island nations is not between adaptation and mitigation, but between survival and loss.
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