Countries enabled to address environmental determinants, including climate change The Secretariat will step up its leadership by:
promoting health as a central consideration in global environment and development agendas (for example, in the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change);
supporting global and regional governance mechanisms for integrated and multisectoral action in environment and health;
giving higher political visibility to the unique health challenges of small island developing States, with a bottom-up approach that builds on the declarations and strategic action plans already committed to by small island developing States and stakeholders, as well as strengthening collaboration across all levels and offices of WHO and with new partners;
building global alliances and providing platforms for advancing global agendas on climate and health (for example, the Global Chemicals and Health Network, the UNEP/WHO Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, the WHO/UNDP/United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)/World Bank Health and Energy Platform of Action and the Beyond 2020 Platform for the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste), and on the Sustainable Development Goals (for example, the Sustainable Development Goal 6 Global Acceleration Framework);
engaging in intersectoral policy-making and inter-agency dialogue on health and the environment, chemicals and health (for example, with the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals) and on occupational health and safety with the labour sector;
fostering the development and implementation of legal and financial instruments and relevant multilateral environmental agreements that address environment and health issues, such as the Minamata Convention on Mercury; and
advocating for ?green recovery? approaches to strengthening the resilience, preparedness and adaptive capacities of societies, cities, workplaces and health systems post COVID-19.
The Secretariat will support countries to:
implement the WHO Global Strategy on Health, Environment and Climate Change and the WHO Chemicals Road Map;
influence decisions in health-determining sectors, such as energy, transport, water and sanitation, and to include considerations of health in urban planning;
build capacity for the monitoring and surveillance of drinking water and occupational diseases;
expand essential environmental and occupational health services and develop a public health workforce that is capable of dealing with environment-related health issues;
develop and implement national solutions to water and sanitation safety, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation and waste management in health care facilities, including norms and standards;
implement special initiatives for those who are vulnerable or in vulnerable situations, including the action plan of the WHO Special Initiative on Climate Change and Health in Small Island Developing States;
scale up the protection of the health and safety of migrant workers and workers in the informal economy;
conduct cross-sectoral work to prevent and treat neglected tropical diseases through provision of water, sanitation and hygiene services;
build climate-resilient health systems by addressing climate risks across all health systems building blocks and targeting action on key areas, such as ensuring climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities;
build environmental and occupational health preparedness and response and recovery in emergencies capacities (for example, in occupational health and safety during chemical, biological and radio-nuclear accidents);
develop and strengthen strategic partnerships, for example with the private sector and labour unions, other agencies in the context of United Nations reforms, the Noncommunicable Diseases Alliance and poison centres; and
implement policies advocated by the WHO Manifesto for a healthy and green recovery from COVID-19. Healthy environments to promote health and sustainable societies