Antalya, Türkiye — The World Health Organization (WHO) will open the COP31 climate conference with a dedicated Health Day on Monday, 9 November 2026, putting climate-resilient health systems at the centre of the talks in Antalya, Türkiye.
Health is one of the ten priority themes of the COP31 Presidency, and the opening day will combine four expert panels with a ministerial roundtable, followed by the launch of the Antalya Initiative for Health Resilience, a voluntary initiative to help countries share experience and strengthen their health systems against climate risks.
Health Day opens the conference
The dedicated COP31 Health Day takes place on the first day of the conference, 9 November, alongside the day’s thematic focus on food and agriculture. The programme will run in the Blue Zone of the Antalya Expo Center.
Four high-level panels will be held in Special Event Room 4, Perge Hall:
- 10:00–11:00 — Panel 1: New Dimensions in Health: Climate-Sensitive Health Technologies and Access
- 11:00–12:00 — Panel 2: Strong Climate Action and Digital Health
- 12:00–13:00 — Panel 3: Humanitarian Aid and Health: Integration in Crisis Management
- 13:00–14:00 — Panel 4: Country Experiences in Building Dynamic and Resilient Health Systems
A ministerial roundtable will follow from 15:00 to 18:30 in Special Event Room 2, Likya Hall, giving health ministers a dedicated space to agree commitments and align national priorities.
Later the same evening, the Baku COP Presidencies Coalition for Climate and Health will hold a high-level roundtable from 18:30 to 19:30, bringing current and former COP presidencies together to take stock of progress on climate and health and to identify priorities for the road to COP32.
What is the Antalya Initiative for Health Resilience?
The COP31 Presidency will launch the Antalya Initiative for Health Resilience (AIR), a voluntary, non-binding initiative designed to help countries share experiences, develop effective policies and strengthen their health systems against climate-related risks.
According to WHO, countries already know many of the interventions that work. Its 2025 Health and Climate Change Global Survey found that inadequate funding and slow implementation, not a lack of knowledge, remain the main barriers. The initiative is meant to move from scientific evidence to practical policy and measurable action.
Health professional networks have also asked for a stronger voice in the process. A coalition of 18 international, regional and national networks led by Health Care Without Harm, together representing millions of health professionals, has proposed a dedicated health workforce pillar within the initiative, so that frontline experience shapes national resilience plans.
Six measures that could save 1.6 million lives a year
Days before the conference, WHO said the climate crisis is also a health crisis, and that six proven measures could save 1.6 million lives every year: heat-health early warning systems; climate-resilient drinking water services; basic sanitation; hygiene and handwashing facilities; cleaner household fuels and technologies for cooking and heating; and efficient pricing policies for fossil fuels.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said most of the harm from the climate crisis can be prevented with tools that already exist. WHO has also urged governments to implement the Belém Health Action Plan, adopted at COP30 in Brazil last year.
More than 60 events at the Health Pavilion
The COP31 Health Pavilion will host more than 60 events during the two weeks of the conference, with sessions livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person.
Other key dates include ATACH Day on 10 November at the Health Pavilion. ATACH, the WHO-led Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health, brings together more than 100 countries and more than 100 partners working to put health at the centre of national climate action.
On 14 November, WHO will lead a UN high-level side event on resilient and dynamic health systems, together with the United Nations University, UNICEF, UNDP, the UN human rights office and the UN Population Fund, reviewing progress from recent COPs and setting priorities for stronger climate and health action.
COP31 runs from 9 to 20 November 2026 at the Antalya Expo Center, under the presidency of Türkiye, with Murat Kurum as COP President and Australia’s Chris Bowen as President of Negotiations. The conference is billed as an implementation COP, focused on turning existing climate commitments into action.
Key facts
- Event: COP31 Health Day, Monday 9 November 2026, Antalya Expo Center, Türkiye
- Programme: Four expert panels (10:00–14:00) and a ministerial roundtable (15:00–18:30) in the Blue Zone
- New initiative: The Antalya Initiative for Health Resilience (AIR), a voluntary framework for sharing national experience
- Health Pavilion: More than 60 events over the two weeks of COP31, livestreamed
- Lives at stake: WHO says six proven measures could save 1.6 million lives every year
Read more on the road to Antalya: UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2026: developing countries need $305 billion a year by 2035.
Health Day sets the tone for the fortnight: if health systems can withstand heat, floods and disease, the rest of the climate agenda becomes easier to deliver. The test now is whether the ministerial roundtable turns shared experience into funded, measurable action.
