Background and Rationale:
Globally, climate-related disasters killed thousands of lives, affected nearly 100 million people, and a financial cost of US$310 billion in 2019 alone[1]. South Africa has been witnessing catastrophic manifestations of climate change, including unseasonal snows, veld fires, droughts, and floods. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty that compels its signatories to develop national programs to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases. The Congress of the Parties (COP) is the supreme decision-making body of the UNFCCC. African countries are signatories to the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement. The COP held its 27th Conference in Africa at Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference, held from 6 November until 20 November 2022. Health-related civil society from around the world attended with PHASA being one from Africa. The World Health Organisation (WHO); World Federation of Public Health Association (WFPHA) and the Public Health Association South Africa(PHASA) recognise climate change as a threat to individual and population health; acknowledge the environmental footprint of the global healthcare sector; and are acting to reduce waste and prevent pollution to ensure healthcare sustainability. PHASA, therefore, holds membership in the Global Climate Health Alliance Board and has a special interest. PHASA, as one of the leading Public Health organisations in South Africa, sees the professional and moral need to leverage WFPHC to engage its African and Global stakeholders on the African perspectives of addressing the climate crisis to ensure sustainable health systems. PHASA seeks to achieve this by hosting a workshop event at the World Congress of Public Health 2023, in collaboration with current and developing strategic partners.

Objectives:
Create a platform to advocate for climate and health related mitigation and adaptation in Africa and globally; Create a platform to advocate for climate and health related capacity building in Africa and globally; Create a platform to interrogate the latest data and literature on climate change impacts on health and wellbeing in Africa; Propose strategies to educate/ raise awareness among health professionals on impact of climate change on health; To raise the relevance of addressing social determinants of health (SDH), including environmental determinants, to address the climate and health risks, in communities in Africa.

Methodology:
A Panel discussion, with moderation. Hybrid format: online and in-person (Rome) 3-4 Speaker panel that is gender balanced with a moderator Each panellist speaks for 5-10 minutes, followed by Q and A SPEAKERS Public Health Association of South Africa- H Somaroo African Epidemiological Association- A Nkwescheu South African Medical Association- L Maki Coalition of African Medical Associations-O Enabulele