Sustainable use of medicines

Climate change is undeniably real and poses a substantial threat to both the physical environment and human health. Extreme weather  such as droughts, floods, storms and wildfires is becoming increasingly frequent, inflicting severe damage on the ecosystem, public health and economic stability. For example, intense heat exacerbates drought conditions and creates ideal conditions for wildfires to spread, while warmer air holding more moisture can result in heavy rainfall and flooding (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [NIEHS], 2024). Initially, these natural disasters might not appear to have a direct impact on public health, but the effects are beginning to emerge. These include a rise of non-communicable illnesses, physical injuries, adverse mental health outcomes such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder and even death (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023).

Human activity is a leading contributor of climate change. Recognising this urgent issue, 196 parties signed the Paris Agreement in 2015, pledging