The deterioration of the planet’s ecosystems and climate change negatively influence health and well-being. According to McLean et al. (2022), planetary health was coined in 1980. Nonetheless, a demand for a paradigm change in medical education to reflect the effect of ecosystem instability and the rising frequency of vector-borne illnesses appeared only in the early 2000s (McLean et al., 2022). Potter (2019) states that, historically, healthcare practitioners in the United States have been trained to prioritize human health. Public health professionals study the environment, but mostly in terms of how it affects human health (Potter, 2019). As a result, the links between human and environmental health have been tenuous.
Climate change is an environmental catastrophe, and it is critical to understand the primary contributors to climate change to mitigate its effects. The Clinicians for Planetary Health (C4PH) initiative is a global campaign that mobilizes healthcare workers, patients, and communities around planetary health through lifestyle changes and action (Clinicians for planetary health, n.d.). McKenzie et al. (2022), for instance, contend that health care causes significant direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions, generally referred to as the carbon footprint. It accounts for one to five percent of worldwide environmental impacts, while the share of total greenhouse emissions attributed to health care is higher in the United States, namely 8.5 percent (McKenzie et al., 2022). Environmentally sustainable health care is required across all health systems to reduce the direct and indirect impacts on the ecosystem and people.
Healthcare providers are at the forefront lines of health protection. They have a unique ability to comprehend and express the dynamic panorama of global health concerns and the techniques that individuals may employ to protect their own and the environment’s wellness (Clinicians for planetary health, n.d.). Thus, education that incorporates environmental issues is vital to making a change. Potter (2019) acknowledges that planetary health education prepares students with a planetary health perspective, unlike traditional health profession education. Consequently, future healthcare professionals will be able to grasp and appreciate the critical links, cause-effect correlations, and feedback loops between environmental change and human health.
Nurses play critical roles in upgrading, restructuring, and reinventing the public health system. McCauley et al. (2022) suggest that they are uniquely positioned to assist in this massive transition in US health care, including data system integration, workforce, and strategic planning. Furthermore, nurses advocate for meaningful collaborations across primary care, public health, and community groups to reach a reasonable degree of cohesiveness (McCauley et al., 2022). The C4PH initiative will have a favorable impact on how healthcare services are delivered in the United States. McKenzie et al. (2022) note that it will aid in better matching the supply and demand for health care and health support services across populations and contexts. Furthermore, it will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from healthcare delivery.
Healthcare professionals can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by discontinuing low-value services. McKenzie et al. (2022) acknowledge that they may target low-value tests and treatments with high carbon footprints and spread low-carbon services like telehealth across health systems. As a result, the C4PH effort will secure a sustainable future for everyone. The importance of the environment should be linked to and advocated concerning human health. Additionally, the planetary health agenda should be fostered in the United States through education to motivate the next generation of health professionals to remain involved.
References
Clinicians for planetary health. (n.d.). Planetary Health Alliance. Web.
McCauley, L. A., Waters, C. M., & Monsen, K. A. (2022). Nursing and public health special issue. American Journal of Public Health, 112(S3), S215-S217. Web.
McKenzie, B. J., Haas, R., Ferreira, G. E., Maher, C. G., & Buchbinder, R. (2022). The environmental impact of health care for musculoskeletal conditions: A Scoping review. Plos One, 17(11). Web.
McLean, M., Behrens, G., Chase, H., El Omrani, O., Hackett, F., Hampshire, K., Islam, N., Hsu, S., & Sood, N. (2022). The medical education planetary health journey: Advancing the agenda in the health professions requires eco-ethical leadership and inclusive collaboration. Challenges, 13(62). Web.
Potter, T. (2019). Planetary health: The next frontier in nursing education. Creative Nursing, 25(3), 201-207. Web.