Health benefits of policies to mitigate climate change.

Ian Roberts and Robin Stott (Nov 27, p 1801) call for collective action from health professionals against the causes of climate change. Students can have a vital role in the debate on the eff ects of climate change on health. The International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) represents more than 1·2 million medical students from more than 100 countries. Climate change is a key policy focus of the federation, which pursues meaningful political action in the national and international arenas. Students have developed intensive workshops on climate change and health. Run all over the world, these aim to empower more students with the skills needed for meaningful action. Attendees are encouraged to lead by personal example and infl uence the institutions where we study and work to reduce emissions. In Australia, for example, educational videos and posters cover the hospital common rooms, announcing a “Code green emergency”. On the national scene, medical students urge ministers of health to discuss the health-related eff ects of climate change with their environment and energy ministers. In the UK, for example, medical students have targeted the general public through a petition and their politicians by marching in front of Parliament. On the basis of our experiences, we urge the following: (1) Climate change and its eff ect on health should be included in students’ For the IFMSA website see http://www.ifmsa.org/ core medical curricula. Future doctors should become familiar with the scientifi c evidence and be comfortable with their role in society as public health advocates. (2) Health professionals as indi viduals and their representative or gani sations must lobby their local and national authorities to reduce emissions. The Climate and Health Council can have a mediating role in this process. (3) Human health should be on the agenda of the international ne go ti ations in the upcoming UN 17th Conference of Parties in Durban, South Africa, so as to achieve a fair, ambitious, and legally binding global treaty. If we ignore the initial symptoms of climate change, the eff ects on health become greater. If we fail to adapt to climate change adequately, we as future physicians will be the fi rst to cope with the catastrophic consequences.