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Time

2024.12.11

(Source:Time)

It’s becoming abundantly evident that with rising global temperatures comes increased health risks, be they from increased populations of disease-carrying mosquitoes and ticks or greater incidence of waterborne diseases like cholera from flooding. Now, for the first time, this reality is helping inform the vaccine alliance known as Gavi’s five-year investment strategy—which plays an impactful role in global health decision-making, guiding vaccine deployment around the world. Responsible for this push is Maya Malarski, a senior manager on Gavi's policy team who led the climate criteria for Gavi’s Vaccine Investment Strategy released this summer. Not only will this guidance help countries in adapting their immunization programs to climate change, it will also support the decarbonization of immunization efforts and Gavi’s own carbon footprint.

Climate change and health are intricately linked. Outbreaks are likely to become increasingly common due to deforestation and loss of natural habitats as animals are being forced into closer contact with humans, increasing the risk of spillover of new pathogens that humans don’t have immunity against. With our current trajectory it’s a question of when, not if, the next pandemic will occur. We need to learn the lessons from COVID-19 and it’s imperative that countries reach an agreement on the Pandemic Treaty so that we are better prepared ahead of the next one and move towards climate justice.