In the face of growing health risks linked to climate change, China has adopted rigorous and intelligent measures to build resilience in a warming world and protect the health of its people, a senior health official said on Sunday.

Shen Hongbing, vice minister of the National Health Commission and head of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, said that global climate change and its mounting health impacts have become an urgent public health challenge for all governments.

The Chinese government has taken firm governance actions and preventive control measures to strengthen its public health security system, adapt to climate change, and safeguard people's health, he said during a news conference ahead of the 79th World Health Assembly, which runs from May 18 to 23 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Shen, who is also the deputy head of the Chinese delegation to the assembly, said that the administration, together with 12 other central government bodies, released a national action plan in 2024 outlining 10 key health-related tasks for adapting to climate change. Another document aimed at promoting healthy environments across various sectors was issued by the administration alongside 15 other agencies last year.

This year, the administration plans to roll out a guideline to help grassroots communities build greater climate resilience from a health perspective.

Shen added that China has developed an early prediction and warning system for extreme weather-related health risks, tailored to the country's unique climate conditions. The system is capable of delivering precise, tiered warnings for air pollution, extreme heat, cold spells, and other climate-related health threats.

The administration has also teamed up with the China Meteorological Administration to issue public health protection guidelines for heatwaves, cold snaps, floods, typhoons, and other extreme weather events to enhance public adaptive capacity.

To harness science and technology in tackling climate-sensitive health issues, China has established two key laboratories—one on meteorology and medical health, and another on environment and health—and has set up an expert committee in the field to provide think-tank support.

Furthermore, the country has built a health risk assessment system and created a standardized database that integrates multi-source data from more than 400 districts and counties across all 31 provincial-level regions.

Shen stressed that China steadfastly upholds multilateral mechanisms including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the World Health Organization. Chinese government departments, experts, and scholars have actively contributed to integrating health issues into global climate governance.

Notably, two local initiatives from China were selected as global cases and showcased at the Belem Health Action Library during the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, demonstrating the global reach of Chinese solutions.

The Belem Health Action Library features crosscutting actions that health systems worldwide are taking to adapt to climate change. The two Chinese cases include a heat action plan implemented in Tianjin in northern China and a capacity-building effort in Zunyi city of the southwestern province of Guizhou, aimed at strengthening early warnings for climate-sensitive diseases.

Going forward, Shen said that China remains committed to refining its climate and health adaptation solution that features early warning systems and prioritizes population health. He added that the country stands ready to work with the international community to build a global climate and health adaptation system while contributing China's wisdom.