Dubai: Parties joining closely watched U.N. climate talks in Dubai held a session Sunday on the theme of global warming and health.

The discussions, led by the United Arab Emirates, chair of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP28, focused on ongoing problems believed to be caused by global warming, such as air pollution, heatstroke and a series of infectious disease outbreaks.

Participants also talked about financial assistance for tackling these issues.

At a ministerial meeting held as part of the day’s session, Masakazu Hamachi, Japan’s state minister of health, said that accelerating emissions cuts is very important also on the medical front.

Japan aims to lead the efforts to spread universal health coverage, in which health care is available to all people, he said.

It is the first time ever for a COP meeting to cover health issues.

The UAE said that annual deaths from polluted air have hit almost nine million.

Heat-related illness and deaths are on the rise, and 189 million people around the world are exposed to extreme weather-related events each year, according to the country.

The country has announced the COP28 UAE Climate and Health Declaration, which calls for establishing health and medical systems capable of effectively coping with such health issues and for expanding necessary financial assistance.

A total of 123 countries, including Japan, endorsed the declaration as of Saturday, and nations such as Britain announced plans to make financial contributions, the UAE said.

According to the World Health Organization, direct health damage costs from climate change are estimated to be between 2 billion dollars and 4 billion dollars per year by 2030.

Rising temperatures have made it easier for wildfires to break out, and many people have died of respiratory diseases after inhaling soot and other pollutants.

The number of dengue fever patients is rapidly increasing as the habitat of mosquitoes, which carry the virus, is expanding due to climate change.

JIJI Press