what's it all about?

A healthy environment is vital for a healthy life. From air pollution in inner-city London and respiratory disease, to droughts and widespread famine in sub-saharan Africa, our environment is constantly affecting our health.

Climate change will have a devastating impact on global health. Natural disasters will increase in frequency and intensity; sea level rises and flooding will create millions of environmentally-induced migrants; and the geographical range of infectious diseases such as malaria will expand. These impacts, and many more, will mean a catastrophic environment in which to live.

Climate change is a public health hazard and so it falls to the medical profession to mobilise itself against this threat. Healthy Planet takes a unique view of climate change from a health perspective rather than simply environmental.

aims

Our main aims are:

1. To raise awareness and highlight the link between the environment and health
2. To campaign for greener policies within the NHS - one of the UK's biggest carbon emmitters.
3. To encourage medical schools to be environmentally aware and to include climate & health into public health modules and mainstream medical education
4. To promote medical institution endorsement of the Climate and Health Council's declaration (www.climateandhealth.org)

As a UCL campaigner you might be lobbying MPs for climate and health relationship recognition and policy change; working with organisations such as Medact in climate and health projects, or with the Campaign for Greener Healthcare to green the NHS; you may be campaigning for changes in medical education to include climate health, or campaigning for a more environmentally friendly university. And of course these are just a few ideas - you really can do anything you want to. You don't even need to be a campaigner to join with Healthy Planet - there are plenty of others ways to get involved.

Mustafa Abbas is the National Coordinator for Healthy Planet and is also at UCL so as a student here you have an excellent opportunity to get involved. Email healthyplanet@medsin.org to register your interest, find out more, and get started!

last updated : february 2nd 2009