On 22 October 2024, the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) held a virtual general meeting to announce a structural overhaul that will allow the platform to respond to the climate crisis with agility and efficiency.
The meeting was held completely online to eliminate emissions produced by travel, and was held in two sessions to ensure those from all time zones had an opportunity to participate.
"We must lead by example," said Elena Villalobos Prats, ATACH Secretariat Lead at the World Health Organization. "ATACH is there to ensure countries build climate resilient health systems, but we also must reduce emissions. Every little bit counts."
The Secretariat announced a new structure and delivery mechanisms for the alliance, aiming to promote further engagement opportunities by countries and partners and strengthen the delivery of key priorities. The alliance will introduce task teams in the new structure to tackle specific climate health challenges. ATACH will continue prioritizing building climate resilient and low carbon sustainability in health systems, while supporting, defining and advocating for health-promoting action by other sectors (e.g. food, agriculture, energy). The general meeting was an opportunity for the chairs of the ATACH working groups on climate resilient health systems, low carbon sustainable health systems, supply chains, finance and climate action and nutrition to celebrate the success of their areas of work, laying the groundwork for the new organization of ATACH.
To advance delivery and participation, task teams led by interested partners and countries will be responsible for advancing specific deliverables prioritized by countries. Several technical meetings will also be organized by countries and partners. The ATACH delivery mechanism will ensure flexibility to respond to new identified priorities. In the fight for health in the climate crisis, we must adapt to change quickly. The task teams will allow us to respond to newly identified needs for support in an agile and efficient manner.
The recording of both sessions of the general meeting are available here:
About ATACH
ATACH was created in June 2022 to respond to commitments to the COP26 initiatives on building climate resilient and low carbon sustainable health systems. It now brings together over 85 countries and 75 partners, using the collective power of WHO Member States and other stakeholders to drive this agenda forward at pace and scale; and to promote the integration of climate change and health nexus into respective national, regional and global plans.
