While more money is being made available for efforts to tackle climate-driven health issues, a new report suggests more needs to be done. PA
While more money is being made available for efforts to tackle climate-driven health issues, a new report suggests more needs to be done. PA
While more money is being made available for efforts to tackle climate-driven health issues, a new report suggests more needs to be done. PA
While more money is being made available for efforts to tackle climate-driven health issues, a new report suggests more needs to be done. PA

Global funds to tackle climate-driven health issues grow to $7.1bn but ‘still falls short’


Rachel Kelly
  • English
  • Arabic

While the escalating impact of climate change is likely to have profound impact on people, with some estimates showing it could cause more than 15 million deaths between 2026 and 2050, the funding to tackle climate-driven health issues is still not enough.

Findings unveiled at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday showed that funds for climate and health, provided by the public, private, and philanthropic sectors, had increased to $7.1 billion in 2022, a significant jump from the less than $1 billion committed in 2018. However, experts say the funds are not landing where they are needed most.

Dr Naveen Rao, senior vice president of health at The Rockefeller Foundation, said the jump indicates the trend is moving in the right direction, but “the overall amount of funding still falls far short of what is needed to protect lives and livelihoods from the devastating impacts of climate change”.

“Donors from the public, private, and philanthropic sectors must increase their commitments to climate and health, while also making sure that funding reaches the communities that need it most,” said Dr Rao. The analysis assessed climate health projects.

Funds not reaching those who need it most

Less than 50 per cent of overall funding made it to low-income countries, according to the paper which was titled Resourcing Climate and Health Priorities: A Mapping of International Finance Flows, and compiled by philanthropist firm Foundation S – the Sanofi Collective, the UAE's Reaching the Last Mile, and The Rockefeller Foundation.

“Well-financed climate action is an opportunity to transform countries and economies and achieve health and well-being for all,” said Nassar Al Mubarak, chief executive of Reaching the Last Mile. “As the report demonstrates, now is the time to invest in more ambitious, co-ordinated and accessible funding, delivered where it is needed most.”

Vanina Laurent-Ledru, director general of Foundation S said that countries on the front lines of climate change urgently need more accessible financing to protect their population’s health.

“Business as usual is no longer an option. Public, private, and philanthropic collaborations can help to fast-track flexible finance directly to local communities so they can urgently build climate-resilient health systems,” she said.

The report called on donors, civil society, academia and policymakers to support countries in obtaining financing by increasing the overall amount available, support local decision makers as well as speeding up and simplifying the overall process.

The paper states that integrated planning of climate and health investments is a key success factor for countries to access funding. Currently, more than 90 per cent of Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans, which are national climate plans and targets under the UNFCC often include health considerations, but are often focused on goals such reducing emissions. Most countries lack a clear picture of the financing needed to address climate and health goals. The paper's authors stress a clear need to translate growing political commitment into actionable, financeable plans that enable the implementation of climate and health solutions across society.

Eliminating dangerous diseases

The Reaching the Last Mile initiative was launched in 2017 by President Sheikh Mohamed with the aim of tackling preventable diseases in low-income communities.

One of the programmes under Reaching the Last Mile is the Reaching the Last Mile Fund a multi-donor partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. At COP28, Reaching the Last Mile joined with the Gates Foundation and global partners to announce a landmark expansion of the fund from $100 million to a target $500 million.

Over the past decade, Sheikh Mohamed has pledged more than $470 million to enhance health outcomes globally, according to Reaching the Last Mile's website with the funds focusing on providing treatment and preventive care to communities without access to quality healthcare. The initiative specifically targets the elimination of diseases in the most remote and underserved regions.

Thanks to co-ordinated global efforts, Guinea worm disease and polio are on track to become the next human diseases to be eradicated, following smallpox’s successful eradication in 1980.

Nations at risk due to climate change – in pictures

  • Internally displaced children Ali and Osman Abdulahi stand near carcasses of their family's livestock, killed by severe drought near Dollow, Somalia. Reuters
    Internally displaced children Ali and Osman Abdulahi stand near carcasses of their family's livestock, killed by severe drought near Dollow, Somalia. Reuters
  • Quick distribution of climate funds agreed at Cop28 will help devastated populations get back on their feet, Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama has said. Reuters
    Quick distribution of climate funds agreed at Cop28 will help devastated populations get back on their feet, Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama has said. Reuters
  • Commuters ride on rickshaws on a flooded road after heavy rains in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Reuters
    Commuters ride on rickshaws on a flooded road after heavy rains in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Reuters
  • Cyclone Mocha makes landfall near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. A rise in extreme weather events around the world has been blamed on global warming caused by man-made greenhouse gases. EPA
    Cyclone Mocha makes landfall near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. A rise in extreme weather events around the world has been blamed on global warming caused by man-made greenhouse gases. EPA
  • Commuters stand on a flyover, on a flooded motorway near Rampur, in India's Uttar Pradesh state, in 2021. AFP
    Commuters stand on a flyover, on a flooded motorway near Rampur, in India's Uttar Pradesh state, in 2021. AFP
  • Monsoon floods and landslides killed about 100 people in Nepal and India earlier this year. AFP
    Monsoon floods and landslides killed about 100 people in Nepal and India earlier this year. AFP
  • A man walks past a car swept by floodwaters in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2021. AFP
    A man walks past a car swept by floodwaters in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2021. AFP
  • Flooding in Kogi, Nigeria, in October 2022. AP
    Flooding in Kogi, Nigeria, in October 2022. AP
  • A landslide engulfs Nyamukubi village, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. AFP
    A landslide engulfs Nyamukubi village, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. AFP
  • A landslide in the Mont Ngafula district of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. AFP
    A landslide in the Mont Ngafula district of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. AFP
  • Aid workers crossing flooded areas in Bundibugyo, Uganda. Twitter/UgandaRedCross
    Aid workers crossing flooded areas in Bundibugyo, Uganda. Twitter/UgandaRedCross
  • Villagers try to pull up a minibus in which 14 bodies were retrieved, in the river Nabuyonga in eastern Uganda, after flash floods. AFP
    Villagers try to pull up a minibus in which 14 bodies were retrieved, in the river Nabuyonga in eastern Uganda, after flash floods. AFP
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COMPANY PROFILE

Name: N2 Technology

Founded: 2018

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Startups

Size: 14

Funding: $1.7m from HNIs

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

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What is dialysis?

Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.

It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.

There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.

In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.

In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.

It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.

Second ODI

England 322-7 (50 ovs)
India 236 (50 ovs)

England win by 86 runs

Next match: Tuesday, July 17, Headingley 

Predictions

Predicted winners for final round of games before play-offs:

  • Friday: Delhi v Chennai - Chennai
  • Saturday: Rajasthan v Bangalore - Bangalore
  • Saturday: Hyderabad v Kolkata - Hyderabad
  • Sunday: Delhi v Mumbai - Mumbai
  • Sunday - Chennai v Punjab - Chennai

Final top-four (who will make play-offs): Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore

What%20is%20Dungeons%20%26%20Dragons%3F%20
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The biog

Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia

Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins

Favourite dish: Grilled fish

Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.

The biog

Age: 35

Inspiration: Wife and kids 

Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow  by Daniel Kahneman

Best Travel Destination: Bora Bora , French Polynesia 

Favourite run: Jabel Hafeet, I also enjoy running the 30km loop in Al Wathba cycling track

Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

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Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

The biog

Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus

Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India

Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes

Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island

Profile Idealz

Company: Idealz

Founded: January 2018

Based: Dubai

Sector: E-commerce

Size: (employees): 22

Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)

Match info

Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace

Man of the match: Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace)

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

How to get exposure to gold

Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.

A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.

Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.

Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.

London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long

However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.

AUSTRALIA SQUAD

Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.

If you go

The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.

The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.

Fitness problems in men's tennis

Andy Murray - hip

Novak Djokovic - elbow

Roger Federer - back

Stan Wawrinka - knee

Kei Nishikori - wrist

Marin Cilic - adductor

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

The past winners

2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)

2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)

2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)

2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

FA CUP FINAL

Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)

Manchester United 0

Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

ELECTION%20RESULTS
%3Cp%3EMacron%E2%80%99s%20Ensemble%20group%20won%20245%20seats.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20second-largest%20group%20in%20parliament%20is%20Nupes%2C%20a%20leftist%20coalition%20led%20by%20Jean-Luc%20Melenchon%2C%20which%20gets%20131%20lawmakers.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20far-right%20National%20Rally%20fared%20much%20better%20than%20expected%20with%2089%20seats.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20centre-right%20Republicans%20and%20their%20allies%20took%2061.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Bharatanatyam

A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: January 21, 2025, 8:55 AM