The 5th World Health Forum Highlights Climate Change as a Defining Public Health Challenge

BEIJING, Nov. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 5^th World Health Forum convened in Beijing on November 1, gathering nearly 400 experts, scholars, and representatives from 22 countries and regions to explore new pathways for global health governance under the theme “Climate Change and Health: Responsibility, Governance and a Shared Future for Mankind.”

In his keynote address, Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia and former UN Secretary-General, emphasized that climate change represents one of the most urgent public-health challenges of our time and called on the international community to make climate action a global priority.

Li Luming, President of Tsinghua University said that he looked forward to working with all sectors of society to cultivate talents, strengthen scientific and technological innovation, deepen international cooperation, and jointly safeguard a better future for human health and sustainable development.  

Shen Hongbing, Vice Minister of the National Health Commission and Director of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, outlined China’s ongoing efforts to promote an integrated “mitigation–adaptation–resilience” framework, while Xiong Shaoyuan, Deputy Administrator of the China Meteorological Administration, described how refined early-warning services and cross-sector coordination are enhancing the country’s capacity for climate-health governance.

Saia Ma’u Piukala, Regional Director for the Western Pacific of the World Health Organization, reiterated that “climate equals health,” underscoring the critical need for immediate and coordinated responses. Amakobe Sande, UNICEF Representative to China, urged countries to strengthen climate-resilient public-health systems to safeguard children’s survival and development.

Margaret Chan, founding Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health at Tsinghua University and former director-general of the World Health Organization, affirmed that VSPH will continue to support decision-making through scientific research, cultivate leadership through innovative education, and gather global wisdom through open cooperation.

The forum features three plenary sessions and a youth forum, addressing topics such as global health governance in the era of climate change, scientific evidence and risk assessment, educational cooperation and innovation, and youth-driven and climate action.

Launched by Tsinghua University in 2021, the World Health Forum aims to facilitate dialogue, foster academic exchange, and strengthen capacity-building in health governance. The forum aligns with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and advances the shared vision of building a global community of health for all.

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