Jerusalem, 18 August, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Health has worked in recent years to formulate a systematic plan for climate change preparedness. The plan was developed in collaboration with representatives of the health system, academia, government ministries, and public representatives.

The plan has seven axes of action, including: building organizational infrastructure in each organization, transitioning to a green health system with reduced greenhouse gas emissions, preparing for climate emergencies, nutritional adjustments, identifying and treating at-risk populations, monitoring and research, and outreach to the general public.

This week, the program gets underway: All organizations are required to appoint a climate manager who will be part of a network that will lead the change with the ministry. Representatives of the organizations will undergo dedicated leadership training that is being built with the Heschel Center for Sustainability and Ben-Gurion University and will provide tools for climate managers to promote the required change.

The Ministry of Health emphasizes that extreme climate change poses a very significant threat to public health. This threat is already being realized in the present – in extreme weather events, fires, droughts, and floods – and is expected to worsen and even cause increasing harm to human life, if actions are not taken to prevent it.

Gil Tanenbaum

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