From 'Airs, Waters, and Places' to a warming world: Chronic illness, social inequities and the climate crisis.

Abstract

The 2024 Teale Essay Prize invited resident or specialty and associate specialist doctors to consider how climate change affects healthcare, and the role of the physician. This theme aligns with the Royal College of Physicians' commitment to sustainable healthcare. The link between climate and health is not new - Hippocrates described this relationship nearly 2,500 years ago. More recently, catastrophic events, including crop failures due to extreme weather and the spread of diseases, have been attributed to climate change. These events can impact health directly, eg through trauma and infections, and indirectly, through rising rates of cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental health illnesses and other long-term conditions. Here, I reflect on my winning essay, from the perspective of a trainee rheumatologist with an academic interest in social determinants of health. This article examines the global health challenges resulting from climate change, and considers how physicians can practice more sustainably.