Glasgow's fight against climate change

Abstract

Prof. Malcolm Shepherd’s introduction inour December 23’ issue highlighted thatclimate change is an extremely importanttopic which merits further coverage inSurgo. With the guidance and knowledge ofDr. Camille Huser (recently appointedDeputy Director of the UndergraduateMedical School (Bioscience)), I was able toexplore this topic and understand our role asa medical school in the fight against climatechange. Climate change will continue to become anenormous burden on healthcare. However,healthcare plays an alarming role inaccelerating climate change. Today’s warmerclimates have seen an increase in globaldroughts, floods and heatwaves. They allowwater and food borne diseases to thrive andvectors carrying fatal illnesses such asmalaria, dengue fever and zika virus tosurvive at higher altitudes and for longerperiods of time. In fact, eggs of the nonnative aedes albopictus mosquito (known totransmit both dengue fever and zika virus!)have been found in the UK within recentyears. However, it isn’t just so-called“tropical diseases” we need to consider. Warmer summers are altering our airquality, causing prolonged periods of highpollen that can amplify the number ofasthma exacerbation and allergic reactioncases that we see coming through ourhospital doors each year. Est. 1935Climate change is deadly. I was alarmed toread that the UK government predicts thatby 2070 there will be a 1244% rise inheatwave related deaths; unfortunately andunjustly affecting economically and sociallymarginalised individuals the most. (1, 2)You may be thinking we will have our workcut out as future clinicians, taking on theburden of climate change. However, we alsoface the large task of trying to limit ourcontribution to global warming as clinicians.The faculty of Public Health estimates thatinternationally, healthcare accounts for 4.4%of global net emissions (that is more thanaviation!). Although, it is not all doom andgloom as our requirement to do better hasbeen identified and NHS Scotland aims tohave a net 0 carbon footprint by 2040.Already, there have been improvementsfrom NHS GGC: reduced desflurane usage inanesthetics, opting for powdered/soft mist inhalers and minimizing SABA usage,encouraging staff to use sustainabletransport methods to travel to work andpurchasing products and services fromsuppliers aligned with the net 0commitments. (3, 4)But what are we doing as a medical school? Imet with Camille to find out more. In linewith the sustainability requirements of GMCgood medical practice (January 2024), theMedical Schools Council (MSC) havehighlighted the need to incorporatesustainability into the MBChB curriculum.Glasgow University were key in coordinatingan MSC network of 38+ UK medical schools,aiming to facilitate sharing of expertise andresources. Dr. Noy Basu (lead of the verticaltheme: Global and planetary health) hasbeen key to delivering these changes inGlasgow after a survey of our medicalstudents revealed that >90% wantedsustainable healthcare to feature in thecurriculum. Now, sustainability in healthcareappears in assessment, lectures and SSCopportunities, particularly in years 1 and 2.Camille acknowledged that a key drivingforce behind improvement is students. Everyyear, students have grouped together tocomplete the planetary health report card(PHRC): a tool for evaluating and improving planetary health content in healthprofessional schools. Furthermore, we havea global goals student group who collaborateand focus on ways in which we can alter ourbehavior to achieve the United Nationssustainable development goals by 2030(which largely consider the environment andclimate change). Glasgow University is alsopart of Universitas 21 (U21): a global networkof universities that aims to connect studentsand staff. They have a subgroup (thesustainable development group) with ashared commitment to fighting climatechange. I asked Camille about ways in which we couldstill do more. She believes progress can bemade through engaging and educating staff;as it is every lecturers’ job when teachingstudents to incorporate sustainablehealthcare into the curriculum.Furthermore, continued partnership withstudents is essential in cultivating new ideassurrounding this topic. If you have ideas asto how we can combat climate change as amedical school or, if would like to getinvolved with some of the student groupsmentioned above, please contact Camille(Camille.Huser@glasgow.ac.uk). It is our job as clinicians of tomorrow topractice sustainably. Lots of progress hasbeen made to reach NHS targets but there isstill so much to be done. - Anna, Editor inChief. Further reading:Breaking the Feverreport_0.pdf