Brasil will provide unified health system services to COP30 participants

The Ministry of Health will offer medical care to all who require it during the conference in Belém (PA). Health centers and hospitals will support care services throughout the event

The Government of Brasil will provide health services to all participants who require care during COP30, scheduled for November in Belém, capital of the state of Pará. Guided by the principles of universality, equity, and comprehensiveness that underpin the Unified Health System (SUS)—one of the largest and most complex public health systems in the world—medical care will be delivered across all three levels of complexity: primary, secondary, and tertiary.

“The effort to strengthen the city of Belém’s health system, in partnership with the municipal government, goes beyond COP30—it is a lasting legacy for the city,” said Minister of Health Alexandre Padilha during a visit to the capital of Pará on Wednesday, July 30. “We are monitoring the progress of construction on eight Primary Health Units (UBS), already underway with funding from the Federal Government. In addition, we are finalizing procedures to enable the city to receive federal resources for 554 community health agents,” he added.

The minister took part in the signing of the service order for the renovation of the Jurunas UBS, which will be fully restructured and transformed into a comprehensive health center (Postão da Saúde) with expanded services. He also visited the future Postão da Saúde in Icoaraci, which is nearing completion.

"The effort to strengthen the city of Belém’s health system, in partnership with the municipal government, goes beyond COP30 — it is a lasting legacy for the city"
— Alexandre Padilha, Minister of Health

From Basic to Specialized Care: How the System Will Operate

• Primary Health Units (UBS): Throughout COP30, UBS facilities in Belém and neighboring cities in the metropolitan region will operate daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. These units will provide primary care and are equipped to administer medications, apply dressings, stabilize fractures, and perform other primary services to stabilize patients before referring them to hospitals if necessary. 
• Emergency Care Units (UPA): Both Belém and surrounding municipalities are coordinating service flows to meet the expected demand during COP30. These secondary care units will treat moderate and severe clinical conditions, offer initial surgical and trauma care, stabilize patients, and conduct preliminary diagnostic evaluations to determine appropriate treatment.
• Hospitals: Hospitals supporting COP30 have undergone infrastructure upgrades and equipment renewal. They will be responsible for inpatient care and ensure continuity of treatment as needed. Each hospital will provide services tailored to specific populations—such as adults, children, and pregnant women—and clinical areas, including trauma, cardiology, neurology, obstetrics, psychiatry, and surgical specialties. 

Private hospitals will also be available to international visitors with travel insurance, as well as to anyone who chooses to pay for services out-of-pocket.

Temporary Health Infrastructure

In the COP30 venue area, temporary medical care stations will be installed to provide immediate care throughout the event, ensuring swift and effective service between November 3 and 25, 2025.

To monitor health operations during the UN conference, the federal, state, and municipal governments will jointly establish an integrated care structure that brings together representatives from the health surveillance and public sanitation networks. These teams will operate within the Joint Health Operations Center (CIOCS).

This model has been in use in Brasil since 2011 and has supported a range of major events, including World Youth Day (2013), the FIFA World Cup (2014), the World Indigenous Games (2015), the Olympic Games (2016), and, more recently, the Círio de Nazaré in 2024—held in Belém as part of the city’s preparations for COP30.

Translation: Tadeu Azevedo (POET/UFC)
Proofreading: Michel Emmanuel Felix François (POET/UFC)