WMA Supports New Call to Action on Climate Change

The World Medical Association, with its 111 national medical association members and constituent bodies, has joined the World Health Organisation’s new call for urgent action to protect health from climate change.

The WMA has strongly supported today’s WHO call to action, which aims to mobilize the health community to call for a strong and effective climate agreement that will protect health and save lives.

Dr. Xavier Deau, President of the WMA, said: ‘It is vital that in the run up to the United Nations climate change conference in Paris this December the voice of physicians is heard loud and clear about the risks posed to health by our changing climate. As the WHO says today, the worldwide health community represents an unprecedented and influential collective voice.

‘The WMA has a potential reach out to 10 million physicians and we believe their voice can raise public awareness and explain the ways in which climate and health are closely linked. There is now irrefutable evidence that we need to take action on climate change to protect human health.

‘That is why health must be given a greater priority in the climate change talks in Paris. Climate change is the greatest global health challenge of the 21st century. But we must act now if we are to prevent the infectious diseases, increased malnutrition and premature deaths, facing particularly the most vulnerable populations, which will result from more heat waves and other extreme weather events.’

WHO Call to Action: http://www.who.int/globalchange/global-campaign/call-for-action/en/