Kelly Willis: COP29 will be major opportunity for Azerbaijan to drive health initiatives

Forecasting Healthy Futures Summit could be an opportunity to showcase Azerbaijan's commitment to addressing climate change and widespread health reforms, Kelly Willis, Managing Director of Forecasting Healthy Futures, told Report.

She said the summit which will be held in Baku on June 18-20 will also make it possible to discuss specific regional problems.

"Ultimately, I hope the Summit will set the stage for health to become a permanent and central component of future climate negotiations," she said.

"We want to foster dialogue and collaboration between institutions, organisations, experts and practitioners across health and climate sectors, leading to more holistic and integrated approaches to tackling climate change. When people understand that climate change poses a direct threat to their health, they are more likely to support and engage in climate initiatives," she said.

Speaking about Azerbaijan, Willis said that by hosting COP29, it will be a major opportunity for Azerbaijan to drive health initiatives.

"We hope to set the stage for COP29 and the global community to increasingly recognize health as a critical component of climate discussions," she said.