Public health | The climate crisis is a “risk amplifier”, doctors warn

According to Montreal family doctor Claudel Pétrin-Desrosiers, climate change is a global “risk amplifier” that threatens air quality and access to food and water by exacerbating seasonal allergies and tick-borne Lyme disease. .

Finola Hackett, a locum physician working in rural southern Alberta communities, says ignoring the health risks of the climate crisis “would be very costly in the long run,” both “in terms of dollars and human lives.”

Both doctors believe acting now could save lives.

“It’s motivating enough for us to do the work,” says Dr.^ref. Petrin-Desrosiers.

The D^ref. Hackett and the D.^ref. Pétrin-Desrosiers are the main co-authors of a report on Canada published last week along with a global report produced by “Lancet Countdown on health and climate change”, in turn published by the medical journal The Hand.

The report of Hand notes the health risks of global warming, citing the “heat dome” that settled over British Columbia in the summer of 2021 as an example.

The “heat dome”, which had caused more than 600 deaths in the province, would have been “almost impossible” without the influence of the climate crisis, the report claimed by experts.

The Canadian report attests that the health system has the potential to mitigate climate-related health risks, but it is far from ready, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic adds to the sizable burden for more than two years.

It also warns that heatwaves could increase the number of emergency room visits by 10-15%, which will strain the work of health workers and reduce the quality of care.

The D^ref. Hackett says that in Alberta, he observed patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during times of air pollution caused by smoke from the fires.

Both doctors also say they are concerned about the effects of climate change on mental health, saying they have seen an increase in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder following extreme weather events such as floods.

The D^ref. Pétrin-Desrosiers finds this phenomenon worrying, because access to mental health care is already lacking, with the Canadian public system struggling with long waiting lists.

Health Canada’s climate and health assessment, published earlier this year, says global warming is “already affecting the health of Canadians” and that without concerted action it will continue to cause injury, disease and death.

Greater warming will carry greater risks, but many problems could be avoided “if Canada intensifies its adaptation efforts quickly and significantly,” the report said.

The links between climate change and health are also at the heart of Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam’s annual report, released last week.

The report states that “urgent public health action is needed to prepare for, protect and respond to the current and future health impacts of climate change.”

Reports from Health Canada and M^myself Tam stresses the importance of involving those most affected by climate change in adaptation planning, noting that this vulnerability is often linked to other social inequalities, such as low income, inadequate housing and food insecurity.

These reports, as well as some provincial measures, show a certain awareness of the health risks posed by climate change, acknowledges the D^ref. Hackett. However, he points out that when it comes to measures implemented in clinics, hospitals and health care organizations, Canada is “only in the early stages”.

The report also indicates that the governments of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec had taken steps to assess the links between climate change and health, but the D^ref. Hackett says such initiatives are “fragmented” and lack national coordination.

Similarly, the d^ref. Pétrin-Desrosiers points out that Health Canada was committed on paper to improving the resilience of the health system, but that this commitment has not yet translated into action and that the current pace is not sufficient to prepare the health system for future challenges.

The medical report recommends provincial and territorial health authorities to undertake climate resilience analyzes to identify priority actions. It also calls on Ottawa to create a national secretariat “to coordinate the transformation of the Canadian health system” into one that is resilient to the effects of climate change.

It also suggests that health care professionals be trained on climate risks and that emergency health care plans be put in place in the event of extreme weather events.

The federal government is expected to finalize a national climate change adaptation strategy by the end of this year, with health and wellness as one of the five key areas.