Climate Change and Health hits the headlines!
Written by Jonny Currie, about 1 year ago | Permalink | Campaign: Healthy Planet
Healthy Planet coordinator in Lancet-UCL report!
Healthy Planet coordinator Mustafa Abbas has marked a further success in Medsin's history of global health activism through his involvement in a new report from the Anthony Costello and colleagues in the Lancet this week (Managing the effects of Climate Change. Lancet 2009; 373:1693-1733).
“Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.”
The report is the product of a year-long Commission held jointly between The Lancet and University College London (UCL) Institute for Global Health. Climate change will have its greatest impact on those who are already the poorest in the world: it will deepen inequities and the effects of global warming will shape the future of health among all peoples.
Yet this message has failed to penetrate most public discussion about climate change. And health professionals have barely begun to engage with an issue that should be a major focal point for their research, preparedness planning, and advocacy (the UK’s Climate and Health Council is a notable exception) [From The Lancet Student]
Media interest
The report has received a great number of press coverages including:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article6283681.ece
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/health/climate+change+main+health+threat/3144977
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/05/13/hscout627059.html
Well done to Mustafa and to Healthy Planet! We all sincerely hope this will convince all of the need to engage in the politics of climate preservation, particularly in the run up to intergovernmental negotiations this December in Copenhagen.
*"An advocacy movement must ensure that the health effects of climate change are placed high on the agenda of every research and development funder, philanthropist, academic journal, scientific conference, professional meeting, and university or school curriculum..."
"...Health professionals and university academics have an important catalytic role. Multi- disciplinary groups from higher education institutions can have a forceful role in engaging with community leaders, civil society organisations, and students"*
**For a comment or interview from our Healthy Planet campaign please contact campaigns@medsin.org
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