‘Climate doctors’ necessary to tackle climate change-related health risks, says expert

With climate change increasingly affecting public health, the need for ‘climate doctors’ has never been more urgent, said Jay Lemery, Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, USA.

With climate change increasingly affecting public health, the need for ‘climate doctors’ has never been more urgent, said Jay Lemery, Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, USA.

In a discussion with Jaya Shreedhar, Senior Health Media Advisor, Internews, Dr. Lemery said healthcare professionals working across specialisations must be trained to address the health risks linked to rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and shifting disease patterns. The discussion was organised by the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai, in partnership with the Press Institute of India.

Dr. Lemery explained how climate change is turning what was once a predictable weather system into a volatile one. “It’s not just climate change, it’s climate energising,” he said, comparing the planet to a toddler given too much sugar — resulting in chaotic, unpredictable behavior that strains both the environment and human health.

He also pointed out how rising temperatures and extreme weather events are already straining public health systems globally. Dr. Lemery said that these environmental shifts are not just causing physical health issues, such as respiratory diseases and heat strokes, but are also exacerbating mental health challenges, food insecurity, and displacement due to natural disasters.

One of the alarming trends Dr. Lemery discussed was the rise in extreme heat events. He said that while wealthier nations may have resources like air conditioning, low-income communities and regions with limited infrastructure face the highest risks.

From a public health perspective, Dr. Lemery suggested that issuing heat warnings and sharing localised information can help handle heat-related illnesses. “For example, cancelling events like children’s sports due to extreme heat, and advising people to take precautions like going out early for groceries...,” he said, adding that in more severe cases, cooling centers can be set up to help vulnerable populations, such as the homeless, find relief.