In view of the role played by medical doctors in the society, there is a stark warning from an unusual alliance of physicians and military leaders that medical doctors should take a leading role in highlighting the dangers of climate change, which will lead to conflict, disease and ill-health, and which threatens global security.
The group comprising of military and medical experts, includes two rear admirals and two professors of health, sent out an urgent message to governments around the world in a writing in the British Medical Journal of 5th April 2011.
The group further observed that while medical journals have highlighted the problems of climate change in the past, only few physicians have spoken out on the issue.
It is interesting to note that this warning came at the right time as government officials and policy makers from around the world met in Bangkok under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in continuation of the long-running talks. The Bangkok conference, though low-key and not expected to produce a breakthrough, is a preliminary session to the major meeting in Durban coming up this December.
