Türkiye announces health resilience initiative for COP31

Türkiye has announced its international health vision for the COP31 summit, which will be hosted in Antalya from November 9–20, 2026. As part of the summit, a dedicated ‘Health Day’ will be held on November 9 to address the risks climate change poses to public health, including rising temperatures, extreme weather, air pollution, and threats to water and food security.

Health has been designated as the 10th priority of the COP31 Action Agenda under the theme ‘Dynamic and Resilient Health Systems.’ To support this, Türkiye will launch the Antalya Resilient Health Systems Initiative (AIR). This initiative aims to serve as an international platform to transform scientific evidence and best practices into concrete policies, helping countries share experiences to strengthen health system preparedness and adaptation to climate-related risks.

Aziz Alper Biten, Director General for European Union and Foreign Relations at the Ministry of Health, stated during the UNFCCC Fourth Climate Week in Baku that Türkiye is placing health on the COP agenda for the first time. The goal of the AIR initiative is to facilitate rapid assistance between nations by allowing countries to share successful models and practical expertise.