Government’s National Climate Change Response Green Paper Professor E. Coetzee President

INTRODUCTION  The South African Medical Association (“SAMA”) is the professional association as well as a trade union for doctors in South Africa.  SAMA welcomes the opportunity to comment on the government’s national climate change response green paper.  Government engaging stakeholders.

BACKGROUND  Attention to Climate Change by Doctors.  Impact due to alterations in Global Climatic Patterns.  Climate Change impact predictions for South Africa.  Climate Change on Population Health as well as Health Systems and Service.  Research linking Climate Change to dire affects on health.

BACKGROUND>>>cont. The fundamental concern for SAMA, as a medical association, is the various links between climate change and the burden of disease (and shifts in burden of disease). a. Higher temperatures will expand the range of some vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, which already kills 1 million people annually in the world, mostly children; b. Altered distribution of some infectious disease vectors ; c. Increased numbers of people suffering from death, disease and injury from heat waves, floods, storms, fires and droughts ; d. Increased malnutrition and related disorders, including those relating to child growth and development – this may in turn impact on the MDG pertaining to child-mortality;

e.Increased burden of diarrheal diseases ; f.Increased cardio-respiratory morbidity and mortality associated with ozone depletion effects; g.Increased numbers of people at risk of dengue ; h.Social and health inequalities due to possible desertification, natural disasters, changes in agriculture, feeding and water policy which will have consequences on both human health and human resources in health.  South Africa – Contributor to Green House Gases. BACKGROUND>>>cont.

The South African Medical Association, as a member of the World Medical Association (WMA), is inviting the Government to involve the medical profession in whatever possible and practical measures aimed at reducing the burden of disease, along the following broad categories of actions recommended by the WMA. a.Leadership and Advocacy b.Education and Capacity Building c.Surveillance and Research d.Collaboration SPECIFIC COMMENTS

Taking the above discussed facts and factors into considerations: a.SAMA congratulates the government for initiating a policy process to deal with climate change. b.SAMA commends the government for identifying Human Health as one of the key sectors required to implement, primarily, climate change responses. c.Although SAMA currently does not have a formal position on climate change, the Association is committed to seeing the resources of medical knowledge and expertise being put to use in any identified national strategies to avert adverse effects of climate change in South Africa. CONCLUSION AND WAY FORWARD

d. SAMA regrets the fact that, as a developing nation, it is a victim of human actions of industrialized nations that are major emitters of carbon. e.SAMA is committed to participate as far as it can, in all national efforts towards, prevention of, adaptation to, or mitigation of, effects of climate change, f.SAMA recognizes that doctors, like any other citizen, have personal responsibilities, on a day to day basis, to reduce harmful actions in their.  SAMA Conclusion. CONCLUSION AND WAY FORWARD >>cont

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