Sarfaty Mona, Abouzaid Safiya
Department of Health Policy, Thomas Jefferson University.
Fam Med. 2009 May;41(5):358-63.
Climate change will have an effect on the health and well-being of the populations cared for by practicing physicians. The anticipated medical effects include heat- and cold-related deaths, cardiovascular illnesses, injuries and mental harms from extreme weather events, respiratory illnesses caused by poor air quality, infectious diseases that emanate from contaminated food, water, or spread of disease vectors, the injuries caused by natural disasters, and the mental harm associated with social disruption. Within several years, such medical problems are likely to reach the doorsteps of many physicians. In the face of this reality, physicians should assume their traditional roles as medical professionals, health educators, and community leaders. Clinicians provide individual health services to patients, some of whom will be especially vulnerable to the emerging health consequences of global warming. Physicians also work in academic medical institutions and hospitals that educate and provide continuing medical education to students, residents, and practitioners. The institutions also produce a measurable carbon footprint. Societies of physicians at national, state, and local levels can choose to use their well-developed avenues of communication to raise awareness of the key issues that are raised by climate change as well as other environmental concerns that have profound implications for human health and well-being.
气候变化将对执业医生所照料人群的健康和福祉产生影响。预计的医学影响包括与高温和低温相关的死亡、心血管疾病、极端天气事件造成的伤害和精神损害、空气质量差导致的呼吸系统疾病、受污染食物、水引发的传染病或病媒传播的疾病、自然灾害造成的伤害，以及与社会混乱相关的精神损害。在几年内，此类医学问题可能会出现在许多医生的面前。面对这一现实，医生应承担起他们作为医学专业人员、健康教育工作者和社区领袖的传统角色。临床医生为患者提供个人健康服务，其中一些患者将特别容易受到全球变暖新出现的健康后果的影响。医生还在学术医疗机构和医院工作，这些机构为学生、住院医生和从业者提供教育并开展继续医学教育。这些机构也会产生可测量的碳足迹。国家、州和地方各级的医生协会可以选择利用其完善的沟通渠道，提高人们对气候变化以及其他对人类健康和福祉有深远影响的环境问题所引发的关键问题的认识。
