ACP calls for urgent action on climate change
Among 5 recommendations is encouragement for physicians to become educated about climate change, its effect on human health, and how to respond to future challenges.
ACP issued a position paper this week calling for urgent action on climate change, citing its potential effects on health.
ACP's Health and Public Policy Committee developed the position paper by reviewing available studies, reports, and surveys on climate change and its relationship to human health. The paper cites higher rates of respiratory and heat-related illnesses, increased prevalence of diseases passed by insects, waterborne diseases, food and water insecurity and malnutrition, and behavioral health problems as potential problems related to climate change and notes that the elderly, the sick, and the poor are especially vulnerable.
The College's policy recommendations are as follows:
- A global effort is required to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse emissions (i.e., those caused by humans) and address the health impact of climate change. The United States must commit to taking both a leadership and collaborative role in developing, implementing, and ensuring the success of such a global effort and in reducing its own contributions to greenhouse emissions. Climate change adaptation strategies must be established, and mitigation measures must be adopted.
- The health care sector, within the United States and globally, must implement environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient practices and prepare for the impacts of climate change to ensure continued operations during periods of elevated patient demand.
- Physicians, both individually and collectively, are encouraged to advocate for climate change adaptation and mitigation policies and communicate about the health cobenefits of addressing climate change in objective, simple language to their community and policymakers.
- Physicians are encouraged to become educated about climate change, its effect on human health, and how to respond to future challenges. Medical schools and continuing medical education providers should incorporate climate change-related coursework into curricula.
- Governments should commit to providing substantial and sufficient climate change research funding to understand, adapt to, and mitigate the human health effects of climate change.
In addition, the position paper noted that the American College of Physicians is committed to working with its international chapters and with other professional membership and public health organizations within the United States and globally to pursue the recommended policies.
The position paper was published online by Annals of Internal Medicine on April 19.