The climate crisis is an urgent public health and equity crisis. Health issues linked to climate change already claim millions of lives each year and, due to historic and systemic inequities, these impacts disproportionately affect the world’s most marginalized populations, who often least contribute to the issue. Health systems can take action to address climate change in ways that can yield a healthier, more equitable, and more resilient society.
In recognition of Earth Day 2023, the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Grand Challenge on Climate Change, Human Health, and Equity invited future health professionals to share their visions for how the health sector can address climate change and its impact on human health. The NAM is pleased to lift up the perspectives of the leaders who will help shape the future of health care and take on addressing the climate crisis.
Listen to Cecilia Sorensen, MD, Columbia University and Climate Collaborative member, provide an overview of the impacts of climate change on health and the health sector’s role in addressing this crisis
Note: The statements made are those of individual respondents and do not necessarily represent the views of all respondents; members of the Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector; the National Academy of Medicine; or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
