In the words of Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization, “climate change will be the defining issue for health systems in the 21st century. Health professionals have the knowledge, cultural authority, and responsibility to protect health from climate change.” During the recent COP21 the health sector committed to leading the way toward climate solutions, promoting low carbon health care, climate resilient health systems, and health care leadership in support of policies that combat climate change. The Canadian health care system including medicine, pharmacy and industry is blessed with a highly educated, dedicated workforce of people who choose to work in health care because they want to help people and make a difference to their community. Let’s acknowledge and support our healthcare leader’s movement toward climate solutions while continuing to pressure our elected officials to do more to protect us from its unwanted effects.
– Lisa James.
