This was stated by Vanessa Kerry, Special Envoy of the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) on climate change and Health.

"There are already 3.3 billion people in our world who are very vulnerable to the effects of climate change. According to WHO estimates, one in four deaths worldwide occurs for preventable environmental reasons, and climate change further exacerbates these risks. One person dies every four seconds due to preventable environmental causes - this is more than in the entire COVID-19 pandemic," RIA News quoted Kerry as saying.

According to her, under the influence of climate change, over the next ten years, the mortality rate and morbidity of millions of people suffering from non-communicable, vector-borne (caused by viruses and bacteria and transmitted by vectors) diseases, as well as "emergencies in the field of maternal and neonatal development and mental health problems" will accelerate in the world.

"Every climate event leaves behind devastation, death and a long history of health complications," she added.

In particular, in Pakistan, where malaria has been almost completely eliminated, the number of cases has quadrupled after the floods of 2022. And in Malawi, due to severe storms caused by climate change, the worst outbreak of cholera in the country's history occurred.

In order to avoid further threats to collective security, the Special Envoy called for a change in the status quo. As the WHO representative noted, reducing greenhouse gas emissions should no longer be a choice.