Health and Family Planning Adviser Dr AMM Shawkat Ali Monday said the issue of climate change would get top priority in the proposed new health policy as it causes various human diseases apart from natural disasters, reports UNB.

“We need more data about climate change as the government gives top most priority to this particular issue in the proposed heath policy to be finalised in the next three months,” he said.

Shawkat Ali was addressing the inaugural function of the World Health Day at Osmani Smriti (Memorial) Auditorium in the city. This year’s theme of the World Health Day is `Protecting Health from Climate Change’. He said the last health policy was implemented in 1988 while the draft of a new health policy was prepared in 2006 but it could not yet be implemented.

“Now the government is trying to finalise the proposed health policy within the next three months after examining the draft and having discussions with experts,” the Health Adviser told the function.

Dr Shawkat said Bangladesh needs a specific policy, timely planning and techniques about how to decrease the effects of climate change, as it is one of the most vulnerable countries to its adverse effects. He said the adverse impacts of climate change have also seriously affected human health.

“We need to do research on the adverse effects of climate change on our health and also have to formulate an advance policy and planning to get rid of the problems,” the adviser said. CA Special Assistant Raja Debashish Roy said the people of Bangladesh need to keep eyes on climate change so that the micro-level changes in the climate could not turn into macro-level ones. “If it happens, then we’ll be the victims.”

He said global commitment and integrated attempts are needed to face such problems and international and local organisations, civil society would have to move forward with this issue as it is impossible for governments to alone tackle the climate change.

Health Secretary AKM Zafarullah Khan, joint secretary Ruhul Amin Sarker, WHO representative to Bangladesh Duangvadee Sungkhobol, DG of Health Abdul Foyez, DG of Family Planning Kamrunnesa Khanam, among others, addressed the function.