I’m Maya, and I’m here with Nora, our science and environment columnist, and Grace, our health and medicine columnist.

A columnist is a writer who regularly contributes articles or opinions on a particular subject.

Today’s question is whether climate-related health harms justify calling climate change a global health emergency, and what that framing could change.

Here, framing means the way an issue is presented or described, which can affect how people respond to it.

Grace, what does the emergency framing add?

Here, framing means presenting climate change as a health emergency.

In vulnerable economies in Africa and Southeast Asia, losses reached 5 percent of gross domestic product, or GDP—the total value of goods and services produced.

Gross domestic product is the total value of goods and services produced in a country over a period of time.

Heat waves and droughts also pushed nearly 128 million more people into food insecurity in 2024, compared with the 1981–2010 average.

Food insecurity means not having reliable access to enough food.

Food insecurity means people do not have reliable access to enough food.

Here, it means people cannot count on having enough food.

Floods can cause drowning and injury, and they can contaminate water.

Here, contaminate means to make water dirty or unsafe.

It could put health and well-being at the center of climate decisions, rather than treating them as a side issue.

Well-being means a person’s general health, comfort, and quality of life.

The researchers recommend that governments measure success by health and well-being, share climate and health data, and cut greenhouse gas emissions quickly and fairly.

Here, well-being means people’s general health and quality of life.

The report estimates that cleaner air prevented 323,000 deaths a year, though increases elsewhere offset those gains globally.

Here, offset means to balance or reduce the effect of those gains.

The question is whether governments and global institutions can build on that progress at the speed the risks demand.

Build on means use the progress already made as a starting point for further progress.