Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  As part of the ninth annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a session titled "Healthcare and Its Connection to Climate and Nature" was held.

The event featured Eric Berglof, Chief Economist of AIIB; Nina Renshaw, Head of Health at the Clean Air Fund; Siddhi Aryal, Regional Director of Vital Strategies APAC; Zhang Ping Tia, AIIB Economic Manager; Suhasil Nazara, Deputy Minister of Finance of Indonesia; Vera Shiesho, Senior Health Researcher at AIIB; Grace Lang, Deputy Director for Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and Maria L. Vivas, Head of Health and Development at UNICEF in Uzbekistan.

During the session, the initial findings of AIIB’s annual flagship report on infrastructure financing in Asia for 2024 were presented. The focus was on how anthropogenic climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss significantly impact human health and well-being. With a global temperature rise of 1.2°C, climate change is already becoming one of the most serious threats to human health. The seminar emphasized that in the coming decades, climate change and environmental destruction will exacerbate these negative effects, exposing billions to threats from extreme weather, diseases, and air pollution.

"We must move beyond the traditional ‘medical approach’ to safeguard human health and well-being," said Eric Berglof, AIIB’s Chief Economist, in his opening remarks. "Infrastructure is a vital part of the solution, not only for building resilient health systems but, perhaps more importantly, as part of a broader focus on health issues, climate change mitigation, adaptation, and natural solutions in environmental efforts across all infrastructure."

The session also highlighted that the consequences of these changes are particularly felt in low- and middle-income countries. It is estimated that annually, 12.6 million deaths can be attributed to preventable environmental factors. Pollution is the leading environmental cause of premature mortality, with 92% of such deaths occurring in low-income countries. By the end of the decade, climate change could push up to 44 million people back into extreme poverty, primarily in Africa and South Asia.

Suhasil Nazara, Deputy Minister of Finance of Indonesia, stated, "Projected annual healthcare costs could reach between US$2 to US$4 billion. This could become a financial burden and easily overwhelm the healthcare system. For developing countries facing poverty and inadequate healthcare infrastructure, this is also unacceptable. Therefore, it is encouraging that at COP-28, the global community signed a declaration on climate and health."

In conclusion, session participants agreed on the necessity of a comprehensive approach to infrastructure financing that considers the interconnections between health, climate, and nature.