The Kuala Lumpur Call to Action on Planetary Health is a directional spark for a global movement to protect ecosystems and human health and create a safe, just, and thriving future for all.
The Call to Action was developed through a consultative online process led by Sunway University and the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health for the Planetary Health Summit and 6th Annual Meeting, held April 16-19, 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Over 1,000 delegates from 63 countries attended.
This Kuala Lumpur Call to Action stands as a testament to our shared commitment. We cannot wait any longer.
Kuala Lumpur Call to Action
Commitments
1. Stand on the shoulders of the São Paulo Declaration
Stand on the shoulders of the foundational São Paulo Declaration, which eloquently articulates the nexus between human health, environmental sustainability, and social equity, and recognizes the imperative it sets forth — to move the many and varied stakeholder groups from evidence to action — to carry this work forward.
2. Renew efforts to apply evidence to propose and develop solutions
Renew our efforts working at all levels with all stakeholders to apply the growing evidence base to propose and develop solutions that will allow humanity and the natural systems we depend on to thrive now and in the future. This includes supporting the United Nations and its Member States in charting a Planetary Health-informed pathway for the successor arrangements to the 2030 Agenda and Goals.
3. Maintain a sharp focus on human health and well-being
Maintain a sharp focus on human health and well-being, recognising that the boundaries between humans and all life with which we share this planet are interwoven and consequently harming our natural systems harms ourselves and future generations.
4. Use the Planetary Health Roadmap
Use the Planetary Health Roadmap prepared for, and launched at PHAM 2024, to support furthering the reach and ambition of the Planetary Health movement.
5. Accelerate efforts to achieve these commitments
Accelerate efforts to achieve these commitments by ensuring that research and evidence generation respond to and are aligned with the Roadmap’s Action Plan.
6. Develop and disseminate clear communications
Develop and disseminate clear communications to all stakeholders, utilising a mix of wide-reaching media, articulating what needs to be done to co-create the ‘Great Transition,’ a comprehensive shift in how we live and interact with each other and Nature.
The first of its kind, a guide effectively communicating the urgent need for change while empowering us to foster positive transformation for the well-being of all life on Earth.
This commitment to actively advance Planetary Health was adopted in 2024, and calls for prompt, decisive action to contribute to a resilient and regenerative future.
The São Paulo Declaration on Planetary Health is a multi-stakeholder call to action co-created by the global Planetary Health community. It outlines the actions necessary for us to achieve the Great Transition, a just transformation to a world that optimizes the health & well-being of all people and the planet.
