VANCOUVER, Aug. 22, 2016 /CNW/ - We heard clearly this morning about the absolutely critical need for action to address the very real and growing effects of climate change. I appreciated greatly Dr. Orbinski's call to action, and I agree that as a nation and as a planet, we cannot ignore climate change.
Much of the discussion on what to do about this important issue focuses on mitigation and adaptation. Neither of these elements alone can prevent the impacts of climate change but taken together they can reduce the risks and damage. And we saw this morning just saw how real the damage is.
It was tremendous to hear so many of our colleagues weigh in on this absolutely vital issue this morning. We saw how committed to finding solutions physicians are. Now the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Board of Directors will take the comments and direction under consideration to determine next steps.
As was raised this morning, the CMA has been active in the area of health and climate change for some time.
In 2009, the CMA was an integral part of drafting World Medical Association (WMA) policies on health and climate change. The WMA Declaration of Delhi on Health and Climate Change was adopted at its annual general assembly in New Delhi, India in October 2009.
In 2010, the CMA's Climate Change and Human Health policy was adopted. It called for action by federal, provincial and territorial governments to address climate change in Canada in five main areas:
This has been important work, but it represents only a snapshot of some of the extensive work on climate change being led by Canadian physicians. The CMA is committed to finding the best way to support those efforts that are taking place from coast to coast to coast.
Dr. Cindy Forbes
CMA President
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is the national voice of Canadian physicians. Founded in 1867, the CMA is a voluntary professional organization representing more than 83,000 of Canada's physicians and comprising 12 provincial and territorial medical associations and 60 national medical organizations. CMA's mission is helping physicians care for patients. The CMA will be the leader in engaging and serving physicians and be the national voice for the highest standards for health and health care.
SOURCE Canadian Medical Association
Image with caption: "CMA President Dr. Cindy Forbes addresses the crowd on day one of General Council (CNW Group/Canadian Medical Association)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160822_C7876_PHOTO_EN_757459.jpg
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