Ottawa – November 29, 2018 – The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) joins the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) in calling for the implementation of the Canada-specific recommendations presented in the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. The CMA echoed the report's findings that Canada must continue to show leadership in addressing climate change issues, including developing public health responses to deal with the impact already being felt in Canada and around the world.
Health care professionals see first-hand the devastating health impacts of our changing climate. From wildfires to heat waves to new infectious diseases, we're already treating the health effects of climate change.
Much more is still to be done, beyond the commitments already made, to adapt our public health system and capacity to meet the growing challenge that climate change represents.
This is the public health imperative of our time.
Dr. Gigi Osler
CMA President