Health

Overview

The State of Affairs

Climate change is making us sicker—and the world is not prepared to respond.

From New York City to Nairobi, Berlin to Bangalore, people around the world are experiencing the devastating and life-threatening impacts of climate change. More frequent and intense climate disasters are pushing vulnerable communities—those who did the least to cause the climate crisis—past the breaking point.

Historic rainfall is driving malaria, cholera, and dengue outbreaks and expanding the geographic reach of infectious diseases. Extreme heat kills almost half a million people each year, threatens agriculture, and pushes people further into poverty. People all over the world are at higher risk of respiratory disease, cancer, and dementia simply because of the polluted air they breathe.

Despite the immense challenges climate change brings, we view it as a transformative opportunity to save lives, build a better world, and secure opportunity for generations to come.

Why it Matters

0ThousandThousand
additional deaths per year will be attributed to climate change between 2030 and 2050
$0BillionBillion
in health damages in the U.S. due to climate change by 2030
0%%
of studied infectious diseases aggravated by climate change

How We Respond

Our Strategy

1Community-driven Innovation: Enhancing health equity by prioritizing vulnerable populations in our global climate and health solutions.
2Scalable Solutions: Collaborating across sectors to scale solutions for community responses to climate change.
3Sustainable Financing: Working with global donors, development banks, country leaders, and stakeholders to secure essential financing for frontline communities’ adaptation to climate change.
4Policy and Partnerships: Aligning private sector, government, and nonprofit priorities to strengthen our collective response to climate change.

Featured Content

Urban Climate-Health Action: A New Approach to Protecting Health in the Era of Climate Change
Launched at New York Climate Week 2024, this policy report outlines a three-step roadmap to help cities around the world more effectively plan for, and respond to, the global health emergency caused by climate change. These insights are informed by seven pioneering case studies of climate-informed health action at local, national, and global levels.
COP29 Special Report on Climate Change and Health
At COP29, The Rockefeller Foundation joins the World Health Organization’s call to action to ensure health considerations are embedded in all climate negotiations, strategies, policies, and plans. Developed in collaboration with over 100 organizations and 300 experts, the Special Report identifies 5 critical policies that leaders can implement now to protect the estimated 3.3 billion people most vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change.
Guiding Principles for Financing Climate and Health Solutions
A shared vision for financing can rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions to improve health, protect people from the range of climate risks to health, and build resilient, environmentally sustainable health systems.