Mr Chairman, Madam Chairwoman,

Among the many impacts of climate change on human health, malnutrition stands out as one of the greatest threats. The Lancet Countdown on Climate and Health predicts that as many as 524.9 million additional people may experience moderate to severe food insecurity by the middle of this century due to climate change.

The Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition (I-CAN), chaired by the Government of Egypt as a working group of the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH), with partners WHO, FAO, SUN, and GAIN, has sought to shine a light on the interconnectedness of climate change and nutrition. It has illustrated not only the great need for integrated action on climate and nutrition, but also the significant opportunity presented by more coherent, coordinated, synergistic policies, strategies, projects, and programmes.

The WHA Resolution on Climate and Health comes at a perfect moment to re-emphasise these critical connections, and we emphatically support the call for coherent and holistic approaches to these interlinked challenges.