AMA Declares Climate Change a Public Health Crisis | Healthcare Innovation

According to a June 13 press release, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted policy during the Annual Meeting of its House of Delegates declaring climate change a public health crisis that threatens all people.

The release states that “Building on existing efforts to address the climate crisis, the new policy specifically mobilizes the AMA to advocate for policies that limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions aimed at carbon neutrality by 2050, and support rapid implementation and incentivization of clean energy solutions and significant investments in climate resilience through a climate justice lens.”

“As part of the new policy, the AMA will develop a strategic plan for how to enact its climate change policies, including advocacy priorities and strategies to decarbonize physician practices and the health sector with a report back to the House of Delegates at the 2023 Annual Meeting,” the release adds.

The new policy recognizes the health, safety, and climate risks of methods currently being used to produce fossil fuel-developed hydrogen and the danger of adding hydrogen to natural gas. These policies build upon AMA’s existing policy and efforts to encourage environmental sustainability and stop the global climate crisis, including a policy to assist physicians in implementing environmentally-sustainable programs in their organizations. Additionally, AMA is a member of the National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector

AMA board member Ilse R. Levin, D.O., M.P.H., was quoted in the release saying that ““The scientific evidence is clear – our patients are already facing adverse health effects associated with climate change, from heat-related injuries, vector-borne diseases and air pollution from wildfires, to worsening seasonal allergies and storm-related illness and injuries. Like the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis will disproportionately impact the health of historically marginalized communities. Taking action now won’t reverse all of the harm done, but it will help prevent further damage to our planet and our patients’ health and well-being.”