As global leaders prepare to meet for the first dedicated health day at a UN climate summit, Canadian doctors plan to use the platform to push for a new federal office dedicated to addressing the health effects of climate change.

The president of a major national physicians group says a summer of record-breaking heat and air-polluting wildfires drove home the urgent need for decision-makers to organize a pan-Canadian response.

A proposed national 害羞草研究所渃limate and health secretariat害羞草研究所� would work across governments to chart a course to a climate-resilient and low-carbon health-care system, said Dr. Kathleen Ross, president of the Canadian Medical Association.

害羞草研究所淲e recognize that the solution to our climate crisis isn害羞草研究所檛 uniquely poised in just one silo of the government,害羞草研究所� said Ross.

Sunday, Dec. 3, will mark the first time a UN climate summit, known this year as COP28, will dedicate a day to exploring the links between health and climate change, which the World Health Organization labelled the greatest health risk of the 21st century.

害羞草研究所淐limate change is really a health threat multiplier, and I think that害羞草研究所檚 the message we need to bring,害羞草研究所� said Ross, who is attending COP28.

Doctors and climate scientists say Canada has already seen harrowing examples of how a warming world will affect health care.

More than 600 people died heat-related deaths under British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 2021 heat dome. Unprecedented wildfires this summer choked the air with pollutants, pausing school activities and creating heightened risks for people with asthma and heart disease. Yellowknife害羞草研究所檚 hospital, along with the rest of the city, was evacuated under threat of encroaching flames.

If the planet were a patient, Dr. Courtney Howard says she would be moving it to the trauma room.

害羞草研究所淧hasing out fossil fuels is the most important treatment,害羞草研究所� said Howard, an emergency physician in Yellowknife who is also the head of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment害羞草研究所檚 delegation to COP28.

Framing the climate crisis as also a health-care crisis 害羞草研究所渃ompletely changes the stakes害羞草研究所� of the issue, said Howard. It makes tangible climate change害羞草研究所檚 far-reaching and direct effects on human health, from the food we eat to the air we breathe, she said.

害羞草研究所淚 also have an obligation and a responsibility to advocate for health public policyon behalf of my patient population, which, given that I serve a vulnerable patient population and one of the most rapidly warming places in the world, very much foregrounds climate change for me,害羞草研究所� said Howard.

But Canada needs to do more to make sure its health-care system isn害羞草研究所檛 exacerbating the problem, Howard said. While the federal government signed on at COP26 two years in Glasgow to a pledge to develop a low-carbon and resilient health-care system, Howard said, 害羞草研究所渨e have barely got started on implementing it.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 even really have official stats on where we害羞草研究所檙e at right now in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, let alone a plan to get us to net-zero,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淥ther countries are very much, not only getting ahead in terms of their plan, but they害羞草研究所檙e starting to steal our people because we don害羞草研究所檛 have a plan and we don害羞草研究所檛 have jobs for them.害羞草研究所�

The health-care sector is estimated to account for about four per cent of Canada害羞草研究所檚 total emissions. Health-care leaders have looked to build from more energy-efficient hospitals, bring in virtual-care options to reduce transportation emissions and electrify ambulances. Doctors are also looking at how to cut the use of single-use plastics and what types of drugs to prescribe.

Some inhalers, for example, which are often in high demand during air-polluting wildfire events, use potent greenhouse gases to propel the drug into the lungs, spurring efforts to prescribe low-carbon alternatives.

Part of the solution is also better education for people in health care, said Howard. She plans to use her time at COP28 to get more doctors, nurses and organizations signed onto a pledge to improve climate change education across the medical profession.

害羞草研究所淭his is also on us as health-care practitioners to lead by example and to learn,害羞草研究所� said Howard.

Doctors also stress climate change is exacerbating health-care inequities, from food security effects in remote Indigenous communities to extreme heat effects on homeless populations.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 also people who are living in poverty and maybe can害羞草研究所檛 afford an air conditioner or perhaps can害羞草研究所檛 afford to run their air conditioner because of the cost of electricity,害羞草研究所� said Dr. Samantha Green, a family physician working in Toronto害羞草研究所檚 downtown Regent Park neighbourhood and the president-elect of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 people who are living in dense, usually racialized neighbourhoods which lack adequate tree cover 害羞草研究所� and in these urban heat islands, temperatures can be up to 12 degrees hotter than surrounding neighbourhoods.害羞草研究所�

Another overlooked health implication of climate change, said Green, is its many effects on mental health. Climate change anxiety rates, especially among young people, are on the rise and studies have noted elevated rates of post-traumatic stress disorder among survivors of climate-driven disasters.

Green says while she supports the idea of a climate and health secretariat, she hopes the idea doesn害羞草研究所檛 害羞草研究所渙vershadow the fundamental importance of 害羞草研究所� phasing out fossil fuels害羞草研究所� at the COP28 conference.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 the most important action that Canada can take.害羞草研究所�

Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press

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