Dispatch from Geneva: Co-benefits in Action at the World Health Assembly
Written from the halls and sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva.
It’s not every day that you see the future of health policy taking shape in real time. But that’s what this month has felt like — standing amid delegates, ministers, youth leaders, and experts at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva.
Across formal sessions and hallway conversations, one theme kept bubbling up: co-benefits.
Co-benefits are the extra advantages we get when we do something for one reason, and it also helps in other ways. They’re the bonus benefits that make good actions even better.
Whether it’s how tackling extreme heat can also promote gender equity and economic stability, how transforming food systems improves both planetary and personal health, or how intergenerational collaboration creates smarter, fairer solutions — the message is clear. Health is never just about health.
In this special edition of Antidote, I’m sharing three standout insights from the WHA week that show how co-benefits are being recognised, debated, and — most importantly — acted on.
Let’s dive in.
1. Heat and health: Cooling cities, strengthening societies
Extreme heat is now among the deadliest climate-related hazards worldwide. It is estimated that heatwaves will affect over 1.2 billion people annually by 2100. The economic toll is also steep: productivity losses due to heat stress could cost some low-income countries up to 6% of GDP by 2030, according to ILO estimates.
At WHA, we saw growing recognition that heat is not just an environmental or urban planning issue — it’s a public health emergency and a social justice challenge. A standout session brought together case studies from India, the Pacific, and the Middle East, showing how communities are using green roofs, shaded schoolyards, reflective road surfaces, and “cool zones” in cities to protect lives.
We also heard about how protecting populations from extreme heat helps young children — reducing dehydration, protecting sleep, and enabling learning — and supports working parents, especially women who often juggle outdoor labour and caregiving roles.
In Bangladesh, early warning systems and climate-resilient schools are reducing both dropouts and heat-related illness. In Japan and South Korea, city-wide “cooling corridors” are not only reducing the risk of heatstroke but lowering carbon emissions and supporting social inclusion for older adults.
Heat resilience is becoming a powerful lever for co-benefits — spanning mental health, equity, productivity, and even peace of mind.
2. Food systems: Nourishing people and planet
Unhealthy diets are now a leading cause of global ill health. At the same time, our food systems account for roughly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, drive 70% of freshwater use, and are a leading cause of biodiversity loss.
The good news? The solutions are often the same.
WHA featured rich discussions on how better diets can mean better health, stronger communities, and a safer planet. Delegates emphasised how traditional diets — rooted in local crops, seasonal ingredients, and cultural heritage — often embody the principles of both planetary and personal health.
In Fiji, programmes are reintroducing traditional root vegetables and ocean foods to improve nutrition and reduce dependence on ultra-processed imports. In Italy and Tunisia, efforts are underway to protect the Mediterranean diet not only for its cardiovascular benefits but for its role in preserving local farming knowledge, reducing food miles, and building community resilience.
These conversations were a timely reminder that widespread adoption of healthy, plant-rich diets could reduce premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases by up to 20%, while cutting food-related emissions by up to 60%.
Food policy is no longer a side note — it’s central to the future of health and sustainability. And traditional food cultures may hold some of the keys.
3. Intergenerational action: Designing for the long term
Climate change is the defining issue for today’s youth — and increasingly, they’re defining the solutions. More than 60% of the population in many countries across the Western Pacific is under 30. This demographic reality was echoed in the halls of WHA, where young voices brought urgency, innovation, and often a deeper digital fluency to the table.
But youth leadership isn’t just symbolic — it’s strategic. At WHA, the youth-led panels, side events, and breakout sessions offered powerful visions for integrated, cross-generational responses.
In one standout moment, a representative from IFMSA described how young health professionals are pushing climate-health curricula into medical schools across four continents. In the Pacific, youth networks are using social media and local radio to bridge climate science and community dialogue.
We also saw how intergenerational models — like mentorship schemes between elders and youth leaders in Tonga, or joint health and climate planning in New Zealand — are strengthening social cohesion while delivering better long-term outcomes.
WHO EURO’s Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health highlighted youth inclusion as essential to effective policy — and that meaningful engagement and shared decision-making are key.
This is no longer about passing the baton. It’s about running together.
My Field Notes
This year’s WHA has been a deeply energising one — not just for the formal agenda, but for the side conversations, spontaneous moments, and powerful stories that shape global health’s future.
One highlight was a high-level side event we had the privilege of co-organising — a two-hour conversation on intergenerational climate action, co-supported with the WHO Regional Office for Europe and co-hosted by Denmark, Norway, the Philippines, and the Republic of Korea.
We were joined by Ministers from Tonga and Cook Islands who spoke powerfully on the urgent need for climate action to protect community and regional health. This included a strong focus on local impacts, and solutions.
We also hosted a truly intergenerational ‘state of the science’ featuring a compelling update from Sir Andy Haines and Dr Sokhna Thiam.
What stood out was the power of bridging for climate action — across generations and geographies, as well as between science and community voices.
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We're constantly told it is the younger generation - those under 40 years of age - who are most concerned about climate change & climate action. Yet it is this age group in Australia who are making the 'lifestyle' choice to install & use wood heaters in their homes. Wood burning - widely promoted as carbon neutral - releases carbon dioxide & black carbon at a rate far outweighing the slow carbon sequestration of regrowing trees. Wood heaters & domestic wood burning generally also emits more PM2.5 air pollution in our suburbs, towns & cities than all traffic emissions combined. The past ten years have also seen the take up in use of perfume & fragrances (phthalate esters/forever chemicals/endocrine disruptors) by those in the under 40 age group at Olympic levels - so much so that public spaces are now heavily filled with the smell of perfume in much the same way as cigarette smoke pre smoking bans. People say they are concerned about climate change but feel powerless on a personal level. Not burning wood where there are other energy alternatives & opting out of wearing perfume/using fragrances are simple steps that contribute to safeguarding air quality (even if at a local level) & environment protection.