AIIB report flags shortfall in climate adaptation funding for health

Global investment in health and climate projects reached $42.2 billion between 2019 and 2023, but only $3.7 billion supported climate adaptation, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank said.

The report highlights immunisation against climate-sensitive diseases and climate-resilient health infrastructure as the most effective adaptation measures. Up to $36.50 of every $100 spent in these areas addresses climate-driven disease burdens.

The study reviewed investments by AIIB, the World Bank and Gavi, covering six climate-vulnerable countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria and the Philippines. Adaptation-linked health funding has grown but remains limited.

In Pakistan, $5.4 billion in climate finance flowed between 2019 and 2021, with 74 percent targeting mitigation and $1.37 billion supporting adaptation. Extreme heat, floods, droughts and erratic rainfall have increased the risk of waterborne diseases, especially in communities along the Indus River.