FIJI, Oct. 8 -- Pacific health and climate officials are calling for urgent action, stronger climate finance and protection of the 1.5degC target as Pacific countries take their health concerns to the Pre-COP and COP31 discussions.

The officials say climate change is already affecting the health and wellbeing of Pacific communities through rising temperatures, sea levels, drought, flooding, extreme weather and changing disease patterns.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), which works with Pacific governments and partners on climate-related health risks, asked health and climate officials across the region to identify the single most important message they want heard ahead of Pre-COP and COP31.

For Tuvalu, the message is that climate c...