Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/Doctors Without Borders convened a two-day roundtable, ‘Dousing the Blaze: Setting Priorities for Integrated Action on Health Impacts of Climate Change’, on April 21–22, 2025, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The event brought together more than 60 experts, policymakers, academics, frontline practitioners, and community leaders from across South Asia to craft a united and integrated response to the escalating health consequences of climate change.
Among the most significant outcomes of the roundtable was the establishment of a regional expert working group tasked with co-developing climate-health strategies and a position paper to be released in May 2025, ahead of COP30. MSF’s Medical Research Innovation and Social Mission team will also lead the creation of a regional repository of best practices and research to drive cross-border collaboration. Participants committed to forming a sustained regional advocacy network to influence national and regional policy, while a new community mobilisation framework will be co-developed to amplify grassroots voices and support local resilience strategies.
“The climate crisis is a health crisis. What we’re witnessing is not a distant threat but a present reality, one that is hitting the most vulnerable the hardest,” said Farhat Mantoo, Executive Director, MSF South Asia. “From rising heat stress to food insecurity, the health effects of climate change are unfolding rapidly and disproportionately. As an organisation that has long worked in humanitarian emergencies, MSF sees these impacts daily in displaced communities, overwhelmed health systems, and neglected diseases made worse by environmental change. This roundtable is the beginning of a shared commitment to bold, collaborative action rooted in justice, equity, and solidarity. It’s about bringing science and lived experience together to co-create real, region-specific solutions that serve those most at risk, not just today, but for the generations to come.”
The event opened with remarks from Mantoo; Dr Asela Gunawardena, Director General, Health Services, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health; and Vajira Dissanayake, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. Dr. Meisam Tabatabaei, Lead collaborator, The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, delivered the keynote address, presenting a global overview of climate-health interlinkages and the imperative for coordinated regional action.
Throughout the roundtable, focused panel discussions and workshops promoted robust dialogue on integrating climate resilience into public health systems. A notable session on ‘Extreme Weather Events and Health Impact’, moderated by Dr Lahiru Kodituwakku, Public Health Specialist, MSF South Asia, discussed strategies to manage increasing climate emergencies effectively, featuring speakers like Anusha Warnasooriya from the Sri Lanka Meteorology Department and Sujatha Mathews, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Former Vice Chair of the Nobel prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Mohan Munasinghe, led a session on ‘Regional Climate Perspective: Voices from the Global South’, stressing the need to align science, equity, and public participation for effective, justice-driven climate action. He reflected on 75 years of unmet climate goals since 1947 and warned of the mounting environmental debt burdening future generations. He also highlighted how unethical social values are fueling economic maldevelopment and environmental degradation, calling for urgent systemic change. Additionally, he said that the environmental debt owed by the Global North to the Global South far outweighs the financial debt the Global South owes to the Global North.
A session on ‘Health System Resilience Amid Climate Change Impact’, moderated by Vajira Dissanayake, brought in voices from the Public Health Foundation of India, the Association of Healthcare Providers India, the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, and Sri Lanka’s Disaster Preparedness and Response Division. The dialogue emphasised the importance of embedding equity, sustainability, and community engagement into system reforms.
Another session on ‘Governance, Regulatory Frameworks in Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Loss and Damages’ highlighted some key insights into regulatory mechanisms and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) in Sri Lanka, presented by Leel Randeni, Director, Climate Change Secretariat, Sri Lanka. Speakers-Dr Aniket Chowdhury, Assistant Director, NCDC India; Dr Asim Baashir Khan Public Finance Expert, UNICEF Pakistan; and Amit Timilsina, IPAS, Nepal shared regional insights, stressing the need for stronger governance, inclusive financing, and cross-country accountability in climate-health action.
A panel on ‘Climate Change Impacts on Nutrition and Food Security’ drew significant attention to the cascading effects of climate change on food systems and livelihoods. Buddhi Marambe, Sri Lanka’s lead agriculture negotiator at COP, shared critical insights into climate-smart agriculture, nutritional vulnerabilities, and the policy linkages needed to safeguard food security in South Asia. The event also amplified youth leadership and journalistic perspectives. A session dedicated to the role of journalism in shaping climate narratives delved into the power of storytelling and accountability in catalysing change.
The roundtable also spotlighted underrepresented perspectives in a panel on ‘Gender, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Disability, And Climate Impacts’. Speakers included Geliee Skandakumar, UN Women’s ‘30 for 2030’ Youth Leader for Gender Equality, Janith Ittapana, Disability Rights Activist, and Prakriti Dalal, United for Action, Nepal. They shed light on the intersectional impacts of climate change, calling for inclusive responses that leave no one behind.
In concluding remarks, Dr Vinya Ariyaratne, Chairman, Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, emphasised that communities must be recognised as equal partners in policy development and implementation, and not just passive beneficiaries of services. Ghada Khemissi, Head of Programmes Unit of MSF South Asia, underscored that climate change is not only a health crisis but a humanitarian crisis, calling for collective action beyond disaster response to include planning, research, and system-building for a resilient future in South Asia.
Interactive sessions showcased innovative climate-health solutions from organisations including Solar Electric Light Company India, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI), Thanal, Sarvodaya, and Sangath, presenting replicable models for regional adaptation and resilience.
