- Strengthening health systems and expanding immunization programs deliver very high climate-adaptation benefits.
- For the most climate-sensitive diseases, such as cholera or malaria, over a third of funding contributes directly towards building climate resilience. More than a third of the funding going into strengthening health infrastructure, such as improved ventilation and better drainage systems and expanded supply chains, also directly contributes to building climate resilience.
A new report out today introduces a practical, evidence-based framework to identify health investments contributing to climate adaptation and the extent to which they build climate resilience.
The research, commissioned by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and prepared by Camber Collective, addresses critical gaps in tracking and assessing investments that address the health impacts of climate change. Titled “Protecting Our Future: An Investment Framework for Quantifying the Climate Adaptation Benefits of Health and Immunisation Investments”, it proposes a quantitative framework enabling key funders and national governments to identify key health sector investments—such as strengthening healthcare infrastructure, early warning systems and health surveillance, improving vaccine delivery and cold chain systems as well as immunization programs and disease outbreak preparedness systems—which simultaneously advance both health and climate objectives.
The report's release during COP30's Health Day coincides with the launch of the Belém Health Action Plan, a global roadmap for climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health systems. As climate change is reshaping the global disease landscape, the timing of this report underscores the urgent need to integrate health into climate adaptation strategies as countries develop new climate targets ahead of 2030.
Despite the urgent need to build health resilience among vulnerable populations facing escalating climate-driven threats, less than 0.5% of global climate finance currently supports human health interventions, leaving a critical gap in adaptation strategies.
The report’s findings can enable governments, multilateral development banks (MDBs) and development partners to prioritize projects that help populations adapt to climate shocks such as rising temperatures, flooding and extreme weather events, and ultimately protect the lives and health of communities. It is hoped that this will help secure the resources needed to protect more children from climate-sensitive diseases in the years ahead, build more resilient communities, and protect the world from deadly outbreaks of diseases.
At the launch, AIIB’s Vice President for Investment Solutions, Ajay Bhushan Pandey, said: “Financing health systems, especially in vulnerable regions, is not just healthcare – it is climate action. Asia is home to more than half the world's population who are highly vulnerable to climate change. AIIB’s investments in the health sector aim to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of systems that protect people’s health and well-being in a changing climate.”
Gavi’s Managing Director for Innovative Partnerships and Development Finance, Augustin Flory, said: “Immunization against climate-sensitive diseases is one of the most effective and scalable health interventions for adaptation. In response to a world increasingly shaped by rising temperatures, heavier rainfall, and more frequent extreme weather events, Gavi is significantly scaling up the portfolio of vaccines countries need to protect their populations and build resilient health systems.”
Key findings from the report:
- The report assessed all health-sector investments made by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), AIIB, World Bank and Gavi between 2019 and 2023.
- While USD42.2 billion has been invested in health and climate initiatives over the past five years by major funders analyzed by the study, only USD3.7 billion (8.8%) had been directed to adaptation. Collectively, the MDBs analyzed in this report have invested nearly USD2 billion in making health systems more resilient to the effects of climate change over the period.
- Immunization against climate-sensitive diseases as well as strengthening health infrastructure have some of the highest climate adaptation values among health sector investments. For every USD100 invested in these activities, up to USD36.50 goes towards tackling the additional disease burden due to climate change.
- The report also looked at six case countries highly vulnerable to climate impacts: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines. It found the share of funding in health programmes with climate adaptation objectives has increased in these countries in recent years.
In May 2025, Gavi and AIIB signed a landmark partnership agreement to scale and improve sustainable financing for health and immunization systems across low-income and lower middle-income countries.As part of this collaboration, the two organizations also committed to deepening the understanding of the links between climate finance, immunization, and health systems investments.
About AIIB
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a multilateral development bank dedicated to financing “Infrastructure for Tomorrow,” with sustainability at its core. AIIB began operations in 2016, now has 110 approved members worldwide, is capitalized at USD100 billion, and is AAA-rated by major international credit rating agencies. AIIB collaborates with partners to mobilize capital and invest in infrastructure and other productive sectors that foster sustainable economic development and enhance regional connectivity.
About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organisations that fund Gavi’s work here.
Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a whole generation – over 1.1 billion children – and prevented more than 18.8 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 78 lower‑income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology – from drones to biometrics – to save lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and X (Twitter).
