Shift the dial on climate change and health inequalities

10/17/23 • 18 min

Climate change poses an existential risk to child health and is exacerbating health inequalities. But, paediatricians can play an important role in sharing information and advocating for action.

Dr Helen Stewart and Dr Alex Lemaigre introduce the College’s new toolkit for paediatricians. Our first tool helps you understand how climate change impacts on children and young people’s health and exacerbates health inequalities. And our second equips you to influence climate change policy locally, regionally and nationally.

Alex and Helen talk about why paediatricians have a role in addressing health inequalities impacted by climate change. And they provide advice on how to start conversations with key decision makers to address this.

"With climate change affecting food production globally plus the energy crisis and everything else, those households who have more limited income are going to really struggle to maintain the same level of food quality and/or quantity. And that brings all of its own health problems – be that malnutrition, obesity... Familiarise yourself with things locally - you know, if there are food banks or third sector kind of organisations that might be able to help support a household with getting food on the table." - Dr Alex Lemaigre

In this episode, Alex and Helen refer to a condition called eco-anxiety. We now use a preferred term, eco distress.

Download full transcript (PDF)

See our toolkit and take action at www.rcpch.ac.uk/ShiftTheDialOnClimateChange

You can listen to other RCPCPH Podcasts episodes on this topic:

Climate change poses an existential risk to child health and is exacerbating health inequalities. But, paediatricians can play an important role in sharing information and advocating for action.

In this episode, Alex and Helen refer to a condition called eco-anxiety. We now use a preferred term, eco distress.

Download full transcript (PDF)

See our toolkit and take action at www.rcpch.ac.uk/ShiftTheDialOnClimateChange

You can listen to other RCPCPH Podcasts episodes on this topic:

Previous Episode

How to build a paediatrician

Talking about the intentionality behind what the College does to train and support paediatricians: RCPCH Vice President for Training and Assessment, Dr Cathryn Chadwick interviews Trainees Committee Chair, Dr Emma Dyer.

Our College Strategy 2021-24 outlines four strategic aims to support our mission of improving health outcomes for children and young people. In this series we look at our College Strategy in action. Hearing stories from clinicians, children and young people and staff about the impact our work has made on the community and within paediatric clinical practice.

In this episode we learn about what it takes to build a paediatrician. The intentional decisions that have been made to train members and set them up for a long and rewarding career. The new Progress+ curriculum and our Thrive Paediatrics initiative and learning hubs are some of the examples of the work being done to support trainees at each level of their career.

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Next Episode

The state of digital child health today - an interview with Professor Sam Shah

Richard Burley, Executive Director of Digital talks with Professor Shah about how digital technology can support child health, and how paediatricians can embrace it - with a dose of healthy scepticism.

Professor Sam Shah is Chief Medical Strategy Officer at men's health company, Numan, and Honorary Lecturer at University College London's Global Business School for Health. He spoke at RCPCH Conference 2023 with a session titled, 'Could healthcare technology address the challenges in child health? Richard Burley here at the College was fortunate to be in the audience and invited Sam to discuss further.

As Sam notes on the podcast, there is no shortage of technology from mobile apps to wearables. But, he says there's a challenge, especially as we look to reduce anxieties:

"...how we try and make the environment of child health - really, the treatment end - more accessible to children, young people and their families. And also less imposing, less scary. Especially that moment when families will be scared about accessing treatment, when children will be in unfamiliar environments."

Sam and Richard talk about examples where digital technologies, particularly augmented and virtual reality, are making a real difference. They consider the unique experiences of children and young people as patients, and the differing needs of communities around language, culture and digital maturity. They step into the thorny issues on privacy, security and safety - and how digital tech intersects with real-life clinical care.

Sam finishes with practical advice on how paediatricians can identify, evaluate and use digital technology in their practice.

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