Vanuatu has taken another major step in strengthening its health system against the impacts of climate change.

This month alone, at the COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, the Vanuatu government officially launched its Health National Adaptation Plan- known as the H-NAP-covering the years 2025 to 2030.

The launch took place at the Moana Pavilion inside the COP30 venue, where the Director General (DG) of the Ministry of Climate Change (MOCC), David Gibson, joined the Director of Planning in the Ministry of Health (MOH), Samuel Posikai, and the health and climate vocal officers who are representing Vanuatu at the COP30 meeting.

The H-NAP was first launched in Port Vila earlier this month.

Now, at the international level, Vanuatu is presenting the plan at COP30 to climate and health partners to secure much needed financing.

According to Director Posikai, the H-NAP outlines ten key thematic areas of Vanuatu’s climate-health resilience.

This includes Climate-Transformative Leadership & Governance, Climate-Smart Health Workforce, Assessments of Climate & Health Risks, Integrated Risk Monitoring & Early Warning, Disaster, Health & Climate Research, Climate Resilient Infrastructure, Technology & Supply Chain, Environmental Determinants of Health, Climate Informed Health Programmes, Disaster Preparedness & Management and Sustainable Climate & Health Financing.

One of the biggest investments highlighted is the sixth thematic area which is the Climate-Resilient Infrastructure, Technology & Supply Chain- estimated at a cost of VT1.17 billion, with key focus on facility retrofitting, relocation and renewable energy.

The total cost to implement the entire H-NAP is projected at VT1.68 billion.

The plan was developed through consultations across all government ministries, with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Climate Change and Health project and MOH.

Director Posikai said the H-NAP is directly aligned with the objectives of COP30.

“..it places climate justice, equity, and the protection of vulnerable communities at the centre of climate change.

“H-NAP recognizes that climate change is already impacting the health and wellbeing of ni-Vanuatu through rising disease burdens, disrupted health services, food and water insecurity, and intensifying extreme weather events,” said Posikai.

Health & Climate Change is one of the thematic areas which Vanuatu is tackling at COP30 this year, because climate change is already driving serious impacts— increasing disease outbreaks, disrupting food systems, reducing crop yields, and threatening the wellbeing and livelihoods of communities nationwide.

There are currently 13 areas with Adaptation, Climate Finance and Loss & Damage as priorities. Other thematic areas include, Mitigation, Oceans, Research & Systematic Observation, Capacity-building, Technology, Global Stock Take, Enhanced Transparency Framework, Gender & Climate Change, along with Markets and non-markets approach.

This COP30 meeting began on the 10th of this month and will conclude on the 21st.

COP is an annual global gathering where countries — including Vanuatu and the Pacific— assemble to discuss and tackle climate-related challenges.