Why Climate
Health Professionals for Action on Climate Change
TAKE ACTION
Health professionals can be a crucial ally in communicating climate change to the public. Through their various touch points in all areas of the community, health professionals represent a trusted voice and interact with people who may not otherwise be engaged in climate change.
Health professionals can be the first contact to members of the public, asking questions about their health and climate change. We want to support health professionals as they educate and treat patients.
Here you will find educational resources that may help you bring awareness to how climate change affects human health and the steps that can be taken to protect ourselves.
Why Talk About Climate Change?
Inform
Increasing a patient’s knowledge of the effects of climate change, including the negative impacts it can have on their health, is critical to combat climate change. Integrating climate and nature into health information will empower individuals to interact with nature more and be more engaged with solutions to climate change.
Engage
Evidence-based information helps build capacity to engage in public health activities related to climate change and the positive impacts for patients when they interact with nature while helping to midgate climate change and the effects on individuals/population health due to climate change.
Foster
To help facilitate and foster knowledge of the health effects of climate change while educating people on ways they can positively interact with nature to improve their overall health and reduce their impact on the natural environment.
Tell us why climate change is important to you!
Creating Climate Change Habits
Make Natural Spaces Part of the Solution
When working with patients towards changes in diet, exercise, and sleep habits, remember to add nature time as a recommendation and why nature is part of their health.
Make it Unique
Recognize and reduce barriers. Remember that almost anyone can increase the time they spend in nature, no matter their physical abilities or where they live. Make the plan place-based: give them options to add walking into everyday activities and show them green spaces nearby.
Schedule and Follow-Up
Patients are more likely to stick to a commitment when they write it down—check-in on your patient’s progress at the next appointment.
Lead with Actions
Health-care providers who integrate Climate and Nature habits into their health recommendations are more likely to see patients have greater overall health outcomes than those that do not.
Take the Challenge!
Studies show that being in nature improves your health in many ways. Boost your relationship with nature today!
Traditional Knowledge
Health from an Indigenous perspective is a whole, and healthy person expressed through a sense of balance of spirit, emotion, mind, and body.
Central to wellness is belief in one’s connection to language, land, beings of Creation, and ancestry, supported by a caring family and environment. These resources reflect those beliefs but can be used by any health practitioner to improve the wellness of all people.
Miigam’agan of clan Jagej from Esgenoôpetitj, is Elder-in-Residence at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, NB. To learn more, click on the explore more button.
Why Talk About Climate Change?
Climate & Vector-Borne Disease
How climate change willimpact vector-borne disease development
Climate & Increasing Temperatures
How changes in climatewill impact the places we live
Climate & Our Food
How climate change will impact our food systems
Climate & Your Lungs
How climate will impactyour lungs
Factors that influence health outcomes
Population Health Model
The Population Health Framework groups factors called the determinants of health into four categories, each of which can be influenced by government programs and policies. The framework also includes citizens’ involvement in their health and well-being and external factors affecting the population’s health.
Evidence-Based Resources
For Adults
For 20 years of age and up
For Youths
For 20 years of age and under
For Managers who work in Health Care
Benefits of Protecting your Health and the Planet’s may include:
Made possible in partnership with:
