Climate change affects human health through a variety of mechanisms, including impacts on air quality, the spread of disease, food security, and extreme weather events. One way that climate change can affect air quality is through the increase in ground-level ozone, which is a harmful air pollutant that is formed when emissions of certain gases react with sunlight. Higher temperatures caused by climate change can lead to increased formation of ozone, which can cause respiratory problems such as asthma and other forms of lung damage. Climate change can also affect the spread of disease by altering the distribution of disease-carrying organisms such as mosquitoes and ticks. In addition, climate change also has significant impacts on food security with extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves damaging crops and disrupting the food supply, leading to malnutrition and other health problems. Finally, climate change may also increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events which can lead to injury, illness, and death.

To mitigate the effects of climate change on human health, one important approach is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, which are the main driver of climate change. This can be achieved through a variety of measures such as improving energy efficiency, transitioning to renewable energy sources, and reducing deforestation. Other strategies for mitigating the health impacts of climate change include adapting to the changing climate through measures such as building extreme weather-resistant infrastructure and improving public health systems to better respond to and prevent the spread of diseases. Moreover, the health crisis caused by COVID-19 has provided critical lessons on how we will handle the health crisis being triggered by climate change.

The SECURE Webinar Series 6 with the theme “Climate Change and Post-COVID-19 Health Security” brought together experts, scholars, and practitioners to share experiences, lessons learned, and recommendations on how climate change affects human health security in a post-COVID-19 world.

The SECURE Webinar Series 6 aimed to highlight the relationship between climate and post-COVID-19 health security in the Southeast Asia Region. This event sought to contribute to the ongoing discourse of attaining health security through effective climate actions.