At first glance, climate change and health seem to have little to do with each other. This view is fast changing. At the United Nation's annual conference on climate change - COP26, the healthcare sector's larger-than-usual presence sent a strong signal on the plenary crisis' impact on human health.

People and nature worldwide are already feeling the effects of rising temperatures. Droughts, fires, flooding and heatwaves are putting humans at greater risk of climate-related deaths. Higher temperatures are also expected to exacerbate the spread and transmission of diseases such as dengue and malaria, as mosquitoes reproduce more frequently in hotter climates. Melting glaciers and deforestation due to climate change could lead to viral spillover, increasing the risk of new disease outbreaks. Furthermore, depressed crop yields lead to food scarcity, malnutrition and famine in the poorest areas. 

Based on the current climate commitment numbers from different countries, the world is well on its way to 2.7°C of warming by the end of the century - a situation that will undoubtedly bring greater climate extremities and hardships on people.

Climate change is not just an environmental issue. It will severely impact people, wildlife and ecosystems if temperatures rises are not kept below the 1.5 °C threshold recommended by climate scientists. To safeguard our future, it is not sufficient for the world to remain status quo. The call to "try harder!" and "act now!" is loud and clear at COP26.