Wellcome Trust Awards GBP 1 Million to Strengthen Public Health Through Climate Action in Developing Countries
30 Sept. 2025 — The Wellcome Trust has awarded the NDC Partnership GBP 1 million to support countries’ efforts to improve public health through their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Currently, more than three billion people live in areas highly vulnerable to climate change. As climate impacts intensify, communities face escalating public health risks — from heat-related illnesses and infectious diseases to threats to food and water security and worsening air quality. Climate action is an opportunity for countries to deliver broad public health benefits, protecting lives and building community resilience.
"A decade on from the Paris Agreement, we're approaching a critical moment as we shift from target-setting to real-world implementation," says Alice Bell, Head of Climate & Health Policy, Wellcome Trust. "By prioritizing health in this next phase, countries can not only protect their communities but also strengthen the public and political support needed for lasting change. Wellcome’s investment in the NDC Partnership reflects our commitment to supporting countries to deliver ambitious climate action that benefits human health — and to ensuring those benefits are distributed fairly and equitably across society."
By implementing their NDCs, countries can expand access to clean air, safe water, climate-resilient food systems and public health infrastructure. Yet, gaps in technical and financial support limit their ability to fully realize the public health co-benefits of climate action.
To help close these gaps, the Wellcome Trust’s contribution will be directed to the Partnership Action Fund (PAF). PAF enables implementing partners with limited resources to respond to countries’ support requests, accelerating climate planning and implementation where it is needed most.
"Countries recognize the growing urgency of climate-related health risks and are requesting support to bring public health into their NDCs," says Pablo Vieira, Global Director of the NDC Partnership. "This contribution from the Wellcome Trust will help the NDC Partnership be responsive to these needs, enabling countries to strengthen planning and deliver climate solutions that improve health outcomes."
To date, the NDC Partnership has received nearly 200 health-related requests from countries and mobilized more than USD 1.8 billion to support over 100 countries across their priority areas. With this new contribution, the NDC Partnership will expand its ability to respond to health-related climate priorities, supporting integrated planning and countries’ ability to improve health outcomes through climate action.