Written by Dr Angharad Spencer-Matewere, EM consultant at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
Edited by Anisa Jafar
Climate change might not be the first topic that comes to mind when thinking of global health. However, looking no further than the 2022 floods in Pakistan, the devastating 2023 cyclone that hit Malawi and ongoing drought in East Africa demonstrates just three of thousands of examples of the disproportionate impact climate change has on these vulnerable communities and fragile health systems.
Having spent the last decade working in Malawi periodically, I have witnessed first-hand the impacts of climate change on food security which are seemingly more present each year. Meanwhile, drought, floods and cyclones are swiftly becoming a yearly occurrence.
The most recent ‘Cyclone Freddy’ in March 2023 displaced half a million people; killed and injured hundreds in landslides; worsened a pre-existing cholera outbreak; destroyed crops throughout the country; and wiped-out clinics and health facilities in multiple areas. All this in the context of a country already struggling with scarce resources, poverty, hunger, fragile housing, poor health outcomes and lacking infrastructure.
These are not isolated events. The World Health Organisation recognises climate change as the single biggest health threat facing humanity. They also acknowledge that those who contribute the least to its causes and who are least able to protect themselves against it are currently the most affected. The climate crisis has impacts on health in a myriad of ways; food security, extreme weather such as heatwaves, storms and floods, air and water quality, increases in zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, mental health challenges, livelihoods and access to healthcare. These climate-related health risks are disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable in society. They will further widen existing health inequalities between and within populations, undoing decades of progress in global health.
Advocacy and social justice are key tenets of global health which indicates a clear-cut obligation to speak up on this issue that continues to impact the most vulnerable groups in our society. As emergency care professionals, we often play a role in the emergency response to these disasters. It is time that we play a role in their prevention. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine led the way on this when they divested from all fossil fuels three years ago and created an environmental specialist interest group to drive forward sustainability in our speciality. The health impacts of climate change will also be the key focus of the Planetary Health Hub, which will convene outside the UK parliament on the 21st to 24th of April as a coalition of health professionals joining together to highlight the health impacts and call for action. The Department of Health and Social Care will be asked to implement a public health campaign on climate change. The government will be asked to speed up the phase-out of oil and gas, ensure clean air for all, and implement mechanisms to increase long-term thinking on the climate and biodiversity crisis within parliament. There will be talks, panel discussions, art, experiential learning and activities for children. It is hoped that a growing critical mass of people gathering peacefully in large numbers can create a movement the government can no longer ignore and that this moment will signify a societal tipping point for positive change.
If anyone wishes to know more or connect over the issue of climate change and global health, please email contactgecco@gmail.com. For more information about the Planetary Health Hub, visit the site below.
Photo credits: Save the Children (Malawi, Pakistan, Somalia)