A growing body of scientific evidence shows that extreme heat is now one of the deadliest consequences of climate change, contributing to more than half a million deaths every year. As temperatures rise and heatwaves intensify, health systems across the world are struggling to keep up. This mounting pressure has prompted a group of major philanthropies to commit three hundred million dollars to accelerate climate and health research, a commitment unveiled at this year’s COP30 negotiations in Belém, Brazil. The announcement arrives at a moment when adaptation gaps are widening and communities face escalating risks from heat, air pollution and infectious diseases. The question now is whether this new funding can meaningfully shift global health preparedness or whether the scale of the crisis will continue to outpace investment.

A Turning Point for Climate and Health Collaboration

The new funding package brings together several major philanthropic organisations, including The Rockefeller Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, the Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the IKEA Foundation. According to the funders, the money will support the development of high quality data systems, targeted research and new tools to guide countries on how best to reduce health risks linked to rising temperatures. Estelle Willie of The Rockefeller Foundation said the goal is not to simply fund short term emergency responses but to rethink and modernise the underlying systems that determine how global health challenges are managed. She highlighted the need to validate new models and approaches that match the scale of climate driven pressures on human health. The philanthropies argue that current systems are failing to keep pace with accelerating climate impacts. Their ambition is to create evidence that allows governments to prioritise which interventions can deliver the greatest reductions in risk, whether through early warning systems, heat preparedness plans, pollution monitoring networks or disease surveillance programmes.

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Brazil’s New Health and Climate Agenda at COP30

Alongside the philanthropic announcement, the Brazilian government launched the Belém Health Action Plan. The initiative aims to integrate climate and health policy across government ministries, strengthen coordination and encourage countries to track the health implications of climate stress more consistently. Brazil’s decision to put climate resilience at the centre of the COP30 agenda reflects a broader shift in global climate diplomacy. Governments are increasingly recognising that adaptation is no longer optional and that rising temperatures and extreme events are placing lives, economies and health systems at risk simultaneously. The Belém plan supports efforts to prepare communities for the expanding range of climate hazards that include heatwaves, storms, floods, droughts and wildfire smoke. Brazil’s position is that climate policy must now extend beyond emissions reductions to encompass public health capacity as a core pillar of adaptation.

A Growing Body of Evidence Showing Heat Is Already a Major Killer

Scientific assessments published over the past year highlight the scale of the health crisis already underway. The Lancet’s 2024 climate and health report estimated that climate amplified heat exposure contributes to nearly five hundred and fifty thousand deaths each year. Air pollution adds another one hundred and fifty thousand, much of it linked to fossil fuel combustion but increasingly worsened by wildfire smoke. Vector borne diseases such as dengue fever are also spreading more rapidly. Reported cases have risen almost fifty percent since the mid twentieth century as warmer temperatures allow mosquitoes to thrive in places they previously could not. U N agencies estimate that more than three billion people are now living with regular exposure to dangerous heat, a figure expected to rise steeply unless global emissions fall sharply. Health experts warn that the gains achieved over the past several decades through vaccines, public health interventions and medical innovation are being undermined as climate change intensifies existing health threats.

Unequal Impacts and the Growing Vulnerability Gap

While extreme temperatures affect populations across regions, the burden is not shared equally. Children, older adults, pregnant women and outdoor workers face the highest risk of heat related illness and death. Communities with limited access to healthcare, cooling technology and economic resources experience the most severe consequences. John Arne Røttingen of the Wellcome Trust noted that these disparities are widening, with low income countries and marginalised communities carrying the heaviest load. Researchers also emphasise that climate change interacts with local social and economic conditions, compounding vulnerabilities. Poor housing, fragmented healthcare systems and informal labour markets amplify the dangers of extreme heat. Without stronger investments in preparedness, public health disparities will continue to grow.

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A Funding Boost That Still Falls Far Short of Real Need

Although the newly pledged three hundred million dollars is a significant increase in philanthropic engagement, experts caution that the amount is small relative to the scale of the challenge. Public and philanthropic investment in climate and health research currently sits between one and two billion dollars globally, a figure far below what economists say is needed to strengthen resilience across climate exposed regions. Researchers note that climate change affects nearly every major health metric, from air quality and nutrition to infectious disease and mental health, creating an urgent need for larger, more sustained financial commitments. Funders argue that the new coalition is designed to evolve into a longer term platform for coordination and investment. Twenty seven additional philanthropic organisations have expressed support for the coalition’s goals, although they have not yet committed financing. If the group succeeds in aligning strategies and expanding funding over time, it could fill key gaps in both research and policy capacity.

Looking Ahead: Whether Investment Can Keep Pace with Rising Health Risks

The announcements at COP30 reflect a shift in climate negotiations toward a more explicit focus on human health. As the world experiences hotter summers, longer heatwaves and worsening pollution levels, health systems are becoming frontline responders to climate impacts. Whether the new funding can accelerate solutions fast enough remains uncertain. However, the commitment signals growing recognition that climate adaptation must prioritise protecting human lives, not only infrastructure and ecosystems. The coming years will determine whether global funding for climate and health can expand quickly enough to match the accelerating risks. For policymakers, researchers and investors, the key challenge is to turn new partnerships into scalable tools that help communities prepare for a hotter, more dangerous world.

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