RANZCO president Professor Nitin Verma is one of 10 signatories, representing more than 100,000 doctors, petitioning the country’s political leaders for a climate-ready and climate-friendly healthcare system.
In a letter publicly circulated on 24 March, the signatories are calling on federal political leaders to commit to action to build the resilience of the country’s healthcare system to the impacts of climate change.
“At the same time, we want to play our part in the solutions. We’re advocating for support to ensure the healthcare system can reduce its own climate footprint,” they wrote.
“We’re seeing the impacts of climate change on health first-hand, supporting our communities in the aftermath of horrific bushfires and devastating floods. We’re also seeing the impacts of extreme heat, particularly on older people.”
Representatives of the 10 colleges assert GPs and psychiatrists are witnessing the mental health impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on people of all ages.
“Specialist physicians across the country are bracing for an onslaught of illness caused by the impacts of climate change. The recent floods in NSW and Queensland, unprecedented in magnitude in living memory, demonstrate why we must act now to reduce the devastating impacts of severe weather events,” their letter stated.
In the lead up to the Australian federal election, the signatories are calling on all parties and candidates to create and fund a National Climate Change and Health Strategy that will enable the healthcare system to build climate resilience, including:
- Development of climate risk and vulnerability assessments and locally led disaster planning for the healthcare system; acknowledging that rural and remote communities are at particular risk;
- adaptation and resilience plans which acknowledge, support, and are guided by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership;
- equipping health and medical professionals with information, tools and resources to support them to anticipate, prepare for and respond to climate risks;
- establishment of a surge health and medical workforce for deployment in response to extreme weather events;
- being informed by the experience of COVID-19 and the limitations and vulnerabilities of the health system to significant shocks.
Verma and his co-signatories want leaders to create and fund a National Climate Change and Health Sustainability Unit to oversee the implementation of the strategy.
To ensure the healthcare system is climate-ready, the colleges also want leaders to invest in a national Climate Change and Health Resilience Research Fund to identify resilience strategies suited to the health system.
To support a climate friendly health care system, the medical profession is advocating for leaders to:
- Establish a Climate Friendly Health System Innovation Fund to provide grants to local health services for emissions reduction and sustainability initiatives.
- include a plan for equitably decarbonising healthcare, to achieve net zero emissions in healthcare by 2040 in a funded National Climate Change and Health Strategy.
The signatories have also, in their letter, urged the country’s leaders to refer to history for guidance.
“In developing climate change adaptation and resilience plans, we must learn from First Peoples who have built up thousands of years of accumulated knowledge on how to live sustainably in the unique Australian landscape,” the letter stated.
“We must draw on that now to inform and guide our future plans. Indigenous cultural knowledge and leadership will strengthen our response to climate change and avoid harmful unintended consequences on communities that face existing health inequities.
“In addition, we join many others, including the business community, farmers and community groups, in calling for an urgent transition to net-zero emissions across all economic sectors to address the underlying causes of climate change, with support to affected communities.”
Verma is joined by the following signatories:
- Professor John Wilson AM
President, The Royal Australasian College of Physicians - Dr Clare Skinner
President, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine - Dr Mark Fulcher
President, Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians - Dr Vanessa Beavis
President, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists - Dr Karen Price
President, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners - Dr Mary Pinder
President, The College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand - Dr Sally Langley
President, The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons - Dr Benjamin Bopp
President, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists - Associate Professor Vinay Lakra
President, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
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