MOBILIZING EU HEALTH PROFESSIONALS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

limate change is above all a question of public health. Health professionals are in the front line in responding to the harm from climate turmoil.  They have a privileged position and a moral duty to protect and promote the population’s health. Thanks to the many physicians who are taking up their responsibility as leaders on climate action, health is moving up the agenda. But it is not yet in the central place that must be achieved. Governments should be hearing more from health professionals on the health and humanitarian disaster that is looming and about the policies needed to protect and promote the health of all patients.

The voice coming from the health profession is vital in raising public awareness and driving the political agenda on climate change. The health profession can act as advocates for population health by communicating the opportunities and threats to policy makers and the general public.

Health professionals can take many different actions, such as

1. Advocating for implementation of mitigation measures in the health sector;
2. Being vocal in framing climate change as a public health issue;
3. Pushing for rapid attainment of the Paris Agreement goals;
4. Speaking out to protect the vulnerable groups to reduce poverty and inequity related to climate change;
5. Advocating for political leadership at the local, national and international levels to reduce the risks of dangerous climate change;
6. Promoting the available solutions (e.g., renewable energy streams, improved energy efficiency and technology transfer from high-income to middle-income and low-income countries) in the health sector and beyond; 
7. Advocating strongly for adaptation measures in the health sector and other areas of the economy that affect health, such as water and agriculture;
8. It is imperative that health professionals worldwide show strong leadership in tackling climate change;
9. Public communication campaigns can—and should—be mounted to inform the public and policymakers about the serious health harms of climate change and the important health benefits of climate solutions;
10. Patient education efforts should also be retooled to reflect the changing baselines of climatic (e.g., extreme heat events) and related environmental conditions (e.g., longer and worse pollen seasons) that exacerbate medical conditions.

There are clear roles for health professionals as both content experts and trusted messengers. Physicians and nurses are among the most trusted sources of information regarding the health consequences of climate change. Large numbers of physicians already believe that they and their professional associations must get involved in public and patient education because they understand that climate change is relevant to direct patient care, and they report already seeing harmful impacts on patient health outcomes within their own practice. As frontline witnesses to the human toll of climate change, health professionals are ideal advocates for collective action toward adaptation and mitigation policies.

Describing the health aspects of climate change—its health harms and the important health benefits of clean energy and other solutions—is well received by the public across the political spectrum and elicits emotional responses that are consistent with enhancing support for policies and structural approaches to addressing climate change. Highlighting individual stories of those already being affected may be an effective messaging approach. Identifying especially vulnerable groups is a necessity, but it is equally important to emphasize that the health of any and all people can be harmed by climate change, and that the health of all people will benefit from climate solutions. Lastly, offering people clear guidance on individual and societal options for preventing climate change and for minimizing its health risks may be the most important role that health professionals can play. Vulnerable individuals require advice on immediate-term health management and protective behaviors to assuage the impacts of climate change on their health

Austria

1. Ärztinnen und Ärzte für eine Gesunde Umwelt (ÄGU)- ISDE Austria
2. Austrian Dental Chamber
3. Austrian Public Health Association
4. Doctors 4 Future
5. Extinction Rebellion Austria
6. ÖÄK - Österreichische Ärztekammer - Austrian Medical Chamber
7. Österreichischer Gesundheits- und Krankenpflegeverband
8. Verband der Leitenden Krankenhausärzte Österreichs (VLKÖ)

Belgium

1. Association Belge des Syndicats Médicaux (ABSyM)/Belgische Vereniging van Artsen Syndicaten (BVAS)
2. Belgische Artsen voor het Milieu-Médecins Belges pour l’Environnement
3. Belgium Association of Public Health
4. BelgiumCSD- Chambre Syndicale Dentaire
5. Biomedical Alliance in Europe (BioMed Alliance)
6. Council of European Dentists (CED)
7. EULAR - The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology
8. European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI)
9. European Academy of Neurology (EAN)
10. European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP)
11. European Alliance for Vision Research and Ophthalmology (EU EYE)
12. European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (EACPT)
13. European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD)
14. European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)
15. European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP)
16. European Association of Senior Hospital Physicians (AEMH)
17. European Association of Urology (EAU)
18. European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP)
19. European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS)
20. European Council of Medical Orders (CEOM)
21. European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM)
22. European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN)
23. European Federation of Salaried Doctors (FEMS)
24. European Forum for Primary Care (EFPC)
25. European Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS)
26. European Headache Federation (EHF)
27. European Hematology Association (EHA)
28. European Hospital and Healthcare Federation (HOPE)
29. European Junior Doctors (EJD)
30. European Medical Students Association (EMSA)
31. European Midwives Association (EMA)
32. European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)
33. European Patients Forum (EPF)
34. European Psychiatric Association (EPA)
35. European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)
36. European Region of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (ER-WCPT)
37. European Respiratory Society (ERS)
38. European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
39. European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
40. European Society of Endocrinology (ESE)
41. European Society of Oncology Pharmacy (ESOP)
42. European Society of Radiology (ESR)
43. European Union of General Practitioners (UEMO)
44. European Union of General Practitioners/Family Physicians (UEMO)
45. European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS)
46. Fédération Nationale des Infirmières de Belgique (FNIB)
47. GBS-VBS Groupement des Unions professionnelles Belges de Médecins Spécialisés
48. General Nursing Union of Belgium (AUVB-UGIB-AKVB)
49. Health & Environment Alliance (HEAL)
50. Health Care Without Harm Europe (HCWH Europe)
51. International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE)
52. Médecins du Monde (MdM)
53. Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU)
54. Sciensano
55. Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME)
56. United European Gastroenterology (UEG)
57. VVT - Verbond der Vlaamse Tandartsen
58. World Organisation of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians (WONCA)

Bulgaria

1. Bulgarian Association of Health Professionals in Nursing (BAHPN)
2. Bulgarian Dental Association
   Bulgarian Medical Association
3. Bulgarian Public Health Association
4. Faculty of Public Health MU-Sofia

Croatia

1. Croatia Public Health Association
2. Croatian Dental Chamber
3. Croatian Nurses Association
4. HLS – Hrvatski Lijecnicki Sindikat
5. Hrvatska liječnička komora /Croatian Medical Chamber

Cyprus

1. Cyprus Dental Association
2. Cyprus Medical Association
3. Cyprus Nurses and Midwives Association
4. Department of Medicine and Department of Health Sciences, European University
5. University of Nicosia Medical School- Department of Primary Care and Population

Czechia

1. Czech Dental Chamber
2. Czech Medical Chamber
3. Czech Nurses Association (Ceska Asociace Sester)
4. Czech Society of Social Medicine and Healthcare Management
5. LOK-SCL Lékarsky Odborovy Klub-Svaz Ceskych Lékaru

Denmark

1. Association of Retired Physicians
2. Association of Specialists
3. Danish Dental Association
4. Danish Medical Association (Laegeforeningen)
5. Danish Nurses' Organisation (DNO) (Dansk Sygeplejeråd)
6. Danish Society of Public Health
7. Doctors for Future
8. General Practitioners Organization
9. International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA), Denmark
10. World Health Organisation- Regional Office for Europe (WHO-Europe), Denmark
11. Younger Doctors

Estonia

1. Estonia Junior Doctors Association
2. Estonian Dental Association
3. Estonian Medical Association
4. Estonian Nurses Union (ENU)
5. Health Promotion Union of Estonia

Finland

1. Finnish Dental Association
2. Finnish Nurses Association (Suomen sairaanhoitajaliitto ry)
3. National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
4. Society for Social Medicine in Finland
5. Suomen Lääkäriilitto/Finlands Läkarförbund Finland Medical Association

France

1. Association Nationale des Etudiants en Médecine de France
2. Association Nationale Française des Infirmiers et Infirmières Diplômés ou Etudiants (ANFIIDE)
3. Conseil National de l’Ordre des Médecins
4. EHESP
5. FPS La Fédération des Praticiens de Santé
6. Générations Futures
7. Intersyndicale Nationale des Internes (ISNI)- French Junior Doctors Association
8. Les CDF - Les Chirurgiens-dentistes de France
9. Médecins du Monde
10. SFAR-Société Française d’Anesthésie Réanimation
11. SNPHAR-E Syndicat National des Praticiens Hospitaliers Anesthésistes-Réanimateurs
12. Société Française d’Hygiène Hospitalière (SF2H)/French Society for Hospital Hygiene
13. Société Française de Santé Publique
14. UNMS-Union Nationale des Médecins Salariés

Germany

1. Basisgruppe Medizin
2. BKK Pro Vita
3.  Bundesärztekammer German Medical Association
4. Bundeszahnärztekammer
5. Bunte Kittel
6. BVKJ Landesverband Bremen
7. Deutsche Gesellschaft fPur Soziale Psychiatrie e.V.
8. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Allgemeinmedizin und Familienmedizin (DEGAM)
9. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Verhaltenstherapie (DGVT)e.V.
10. Deutsche Psychotherapeuten Vereiningung (DPtV)
11. Deutsche Vereiningung für Gestalttherapie
12. Deutscher Pflegerat e.V. (DPR) (German Nursing Council)
13. Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA)
14. Fulda Public Health Centre
15. German Nurses Association (Deutscher Berufsverband für Pflegeberufe)
16. German Public Health Association (DGPH)
17. German Society of Internal Medecine
18. German Society of Medical Sociology
19. German Society of Tropical Paediatrics and International Child Health
20. Health for Future Aachen
21. Health for Future Bonn
22. Health for Future Tübingen
23. Initiative Psychologie im Umweltschutz e.V.
24. Institute for Clinical Economics
25. IPPNW Germany (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War)
26. Kinderärtze Berliner Freiheit
27. KLUG- Deutsche Allianz Klimawandel und Gesundheit e.V.
28. Kooperationsverbund ‘Hochschule für Gesundheit’
29. Kritische Medizin Leipzig- Medical Students Association
30. Marburger Bund Berlin Brandenburg
31. MHH
32. MZG
33. NRW Centre for Health
34. Ökologischer Ärztebund (ÖÄB)
35. Physicians Association for Nutrition
36. Psychologists/Psychotherapists for Future
37. Stiftung Gesunde Erde Gesunde Menschen
38. VLK Verband der Leitenden Krankenhausärtze Deutschlands e.V:

Greece

1. CSFM & HSR-PH Lab, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete
2. Hellenic Dental Association
3. Hellenic Nurses Association (HNA)
4. HelMSIC
5. Junior Doctors’ Network (JDN-Hellas)
6. Panhellenic Medical Association
7. Panhellenic Union of Public Health Physicians of National Health System (PEIDY-E.S.Y.)
    

Hungary

1. Hungarian Association of Public Health Training and Research Institutions-NKE
2. Hungarian Medical Chamber
3. Hungarian Nursing Association
4. Hungarian Resident Doctors’
5. National Committee for Hungarian Dentistry
6. University of Debrecen

Ireland

1. Ireland Institute of Public Health
2. Irish Dental Association
3. Irish Doctors for Environment
4. Irish Medical Organisation (IMO)
5. Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO)
6. Royal College of Psychiatrists

Italy

1. AAROI – EMAC
2.  AIO - Associazione Italiana Odontoiatri
3. ANAAO-ASSOMED
4. ANDI - Associazione Nazionale Dentisti Italiani
5. ANPO- Associazione Nazionale Primari Ospedalieri
6. Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome
7. Consociazione Nazionale delle Associazioni Infermiere/i (CNA
8. Coordinamento Italiano delle Societa Scientifiche aderenti a WONCA
9. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Italy
10. Federazione dei Medici Chiurghi e degli Odontoiatri (FNOMCeO)
11. Federspecializzandi
12. Fondazione Allineare Sanita e Salute
13. Health Services Research Laboratory-Department of Public Health, University of Siena
14. ISDE- Associazione Medici per l’Ambiente
15. ISDE Modena
16. Italian Barometer Diabetes Observatory
17. Italian Society for Environmental Medicine (SIMA)
18. Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health
19. Mediterranean Society of Lifestyle Medicine
20. National Agency for Regional Health Services
21. RIMSA
22. Segretariato Italiano Studenti in Medicina-APS
23. SNR Sindicato Nazionale Area Radiologica
24. The Bridge Foundation

Latvia

1. Latvian Dental Association
2. Latvian Junior Doctors Association
3. Latvian Medical Association
4. Latvian Nurses Association
5. Public Health Association of Latvia

Lithuania

1. Lithuanian Dental Chamber
2. Lithuanian Junior Doctors Association
3. Lithuanian Lifestyle Medicine Association
4. Lithuanian Medical Association
5. Lithuanian Public Health Association
6. The Lithuanian Nurses’ Organisation (Lietuvos slaugos specialistų organizacijos biuras)

Luxembourg

1. Association des Médecins et Médecins-Dentistes du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
2. Association Nationale des Infirmières et Infirmiers du Luxembourg (ANIL)
3. European Working Group of Practitioners and Specialists in Free Practice (EANA), Luxembourg
4. Luxembourg Institute of Health

Malta

1. Dental Association of Malta
2. Malta Association of Public Health Medicine
3. Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN)
4. Medical Association of Malta (MAM)

Netherlands

1. Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health
2. Federation for Health
3. GGD GHOR Nederland
4. IFMSA-NL
5. KNMT - Royal Dutch Dental Association
6. LAD-Landelijke Verenigung van Artsen in Dienstverband (Dutch Association of Salaried Doctors
7. Maastricht University Department of International Health
8. Nederlandse Vereniging voor Medische Milieukunde (NVMM)
9. Nieuwe Unie’91 (NU'91)
10. NIVEL
11. PHned
12. RIVM
13. The Royal Dutch Medical Association (KNMG)

Norway

1. Den norske legeforening Norwegian Medical Association
2. Norwegian Nurses Organisation (NNO)
3. Physicians’ Campaign Against Climate Change Norway
4. The Norwegian Association of Senior Hospital Physicians

Poland

1. OZZL-Ogolnopolski Zwiazek Zawodowy Lekarzy
2. Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists
3. Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists
4. Polish Nurses Association (Polskie Towarzystwo Pielegniarskie)
5. Polish Society of Lifestyle Medicine
6. Polish Society of Public Health

Portugal

1. Associaçao Nacional de Estudantes de Medicina (ANEM-Portugal)
2. NEM/AAC- Nucleo de Estudantes de Medicina de Associaçao Academica de Coimbra
3. NOVA National School of Public Health (NOVA NSPH)
4. Nucleo de Estudantes de Medicina da Universidade de Minho (NEMUM)
5. Ordem dos Enfermeiros
6. Ordem dos Médicos (O.M) Federaçao Nacional dos Medicos FNAM
7. Portuguese Association for the Public Health Promotion
8. Portuguese Association of Public Health Doctors (ANMSP)
9. Portuguese Dental Association - Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas
10. Portuguese Society of Environmental Health
11. Portuguese Society of Lifestyle Medicine
12. SIM -Sindicato Independente dos Medicos
13. Students’ Association of the Faculty of Medicine- University of Lisbon

Romania

1. Department of Public Health of the Babes-Bolyai University
2. National Federation of Family Medicine Employers in Romania
3. National School of Public Health, Management and Professional Development
4. RFCPTU-CFSMR Romanian Fedrative Chamber of Physicians Trade Union
5. Romanian College of Physicians (Colegiul Medicilor din România)
6. Romanian Nursing Association (Associatia De Nursing Din Romania)
7. Romanian Public Health and Health Management Association
8. Vasco da Gama Movement

Slovakia

1. SAVEZ- Slovak Public Health Association
2. Slovak Chamber of Dentists
3. Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives
4. Slovak Medical Chamber

Slovenia

1. Chamber of Sanitary Engineers of Slovenia- Institute of Public and Environmental Health
2. FIDES - Sindikat Zdravnikov in Zobozdravnikov Slovenie
3. Medical Chamber of Slovenia
4. Nurses and Midwives Association of Slovenia
5. Slovenian Medical Society-Slovenian Preventive Medicine Society
6. Zdravniska zbornica Slovenije-Komisija mladoh zdravnikov

Spain

1. Associacio d’estudiants de Ciències de la Salut (AECS) Catalonia
2. Associacio d’Infermeria Familiar i Comunitaria de Catalunya (AIFiCC)
3. CESM-Confederacion Estatal De Sindicatos Medicos
4. Consejo General de Colegios Medicos de Espana
5. Departamento de Salud Xativa-Ontinyent
6. Fundacion Alborada
7. Medicus Mundi Spain
8. SemFYC- Sociedad Espanola de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria (Spanish Society of Family and Community)
9. Sociedad Canaria de Saud Publica
10. Sociedad de Enfermeria Familiar y Comunitaria de Asturias (SEAPA)
11. Sociedad Espanola de Salud Publica y Adminiustracion Sanitaria (SESPAS)
12. Sociedad Espanola de Sanidad Ambiental
13. Societat de Salut Publica de Catalunya i Balears
14. Spanish Dental Council
15. Spanish General Council of Nursing
16. Spanish National School of Public Health

Sweden

1. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Sweden
2. Extinction Rebellion Sweden Healthworkers
3. Karolinska Institute, Department of Global Public Health
4. Klimatpsykologerna
5. Psychologists for Sustainable Development
6. Sveriges Yngre Läkares Förening
7. Swedish Association of Hospital Physicians
8. Swedish Association of Social Medicine
9. Swedish Dental Association
10. Swedish Medical Association
11. Vårdförbundet (The Swedish Association of Health Professionals)

Switzerland

1. Aerztinnen und Aerste Für Umweltschutz (AefU)/Médecons en Faveur de l’Environnement (MfE), Doctors for the Environment
2. Association Suisse des Infirmières et Infirmiers (SBK-ASI)
3. NCD Alliance
4. PSR/IPPNW Switzerland
5. Swiss Medical Association/Verbindung der Schweizer Ärztinnen und Ärzte (FMH)
6. Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH +)
7. Swiss Society for Public Health