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.
Doctors urged to take climate leadership role.
Published by Jalal Saleh Michika, PhD, MSc, DM, MBBS, MACE, FACP
Jalal Saleh Michika, PhD, is a Consultant Public Health Physician/Epidemiologist from Nigeria. He received his trainings from University Of Maiduguri Nigeria (MD), Imperial College London (Dip. Internal Medicine), London School Of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MSc Public Health), and the Walden University U.S.A. (PhD Public Health Epidemiology). The author is a National Professional Officer - Malaria, World Health Organisation Nigeria. The author’s doctoral dissertation is on “Prevalence of Neonatal Tetanus in Northeastern Nigeria.” Dr. Saleh holds fellowship and membership of various professional bodies that includes: American College Of Epidemiology (Member) American Public Health Association (Fellow) American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Member) Royal Society for Public Health (Fellow) Royal Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Fellow) Golden Key International Honor Society (Member) International Society for Disease Surveillance (Member) International Society for Infectious Diseases (Member) International Epidemiological Association (Member) Individual Member, Collaboration on Health and Environment, U.K. Nigerian Institute for Management Consultants (Member) Nigerian Institute of Management (Member) The author has published several peer-reviewed articles in reputable medical journals: 1. Polio eradication in Nigeria: evaluation of the quality of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance documentation in Bauchi state, 2016 (BMC Public Health, 2018, 18(Suppl 4):1307 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6185-z) 2. Quality Assurance (QA) Tool in Public Health Campaigns: A Look at the 2017 LLIN Replacement Campaign in Nigeria (Open Access Library Journal, 2018, 5: e4701. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1104701) 3. Lots Quality Assurance Survey (LQAS) as a Strategy to Achieving Quality LLIN Campaigns: The Nigerian Experience (Open Access Library Journal, 2018, 5: e4484. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1104484) 4. LLIN Ownership, Utilization, and Malaria Prevalence: An Outlook at the 2015 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey (Open Access Library Journal, 2018, 5: e4280. doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1104280) 5. Investigation of a Suspected Malaria Outbreak in Sokoto State, Nigeria, 2016 (Open Access Library Journal, 2017, 4: e4246. doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1104246) 6. Antenatal care services and neonatal tetanus: an outlook at the northeastern Nigeria (Elsevier, Paediatric Infectious Diseases Journal, 2015, dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pid.2015.03.001) 7. The Role of Dashboards in Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) Campaigns: A Pilot Report from Nigeria (J Community Med Public Health, 2018, CMPH-134. DOI:10.29011/2577-2228/100034) 8. Intensified Routine Immunization (RI) Activities: A Strategy for Improving RI and AFP Surveillance outcomes; Lessons from Abia State Nigeria (J Community Med Public Health, 2018, CMPH-132. doi:10.29011/2577-2228/100032) 9. Trends of measles in Nigeria: A systematic review (Sahel Med J 2016; 19:5-11. doi:10.4103/1118-8561.181887) 10. Relationship between Caregivers' Socio-Economic Status and Childhood Tuberculosis in Bauchi State, Northeastern Nigeria. (WebmedCentral INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2018;9(6): WMC005487. URL http://www.webmedcentral.com/article_view/5487) 11. A critical look at 2015 acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance core indicators of Bauchi state, Nigeria (Science Journal of Public Health, 2016:4(4), 326-329. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20160404.19) 12. Behaviour of People Living with HIV Aids in Northeastern Nigeria (Open Access Library Journal, 2017, 4: e3944. doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1103944) 13. Factors behind low NPENT rate in Bauchi State in 2015 (Science Journal of Public Health, 2016:4(4), 342-345. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20160404.21) 14. Performance of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance in Bauchi state, Nigeria, 2016 (Journal of Public Health Informatics. ISSN 1947-2579. http://ojphi.org. 9(1): e182, 2017) 15. An Evaluation of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) in Enugu State, Nigeria (Journal of Health Medicine and Nursing 2018, 48. ISSN 2422-8419, http://iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JHMN/article/view/41699) 16. Neonatal tetanus elimination and the Nigerian health system: where is the missing link? (Science Journal of Public Health, 2015; 3(3): 417-422. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20150303.28) 17. Do traditional birth attendants (TBAs) have a role in the prevention of neonatal tetanus (American Journal of Health Research, 2015;3(3), 189-193. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.20150303.24) 18. Prevalence of neonatal tetanus in the northeastern Nigeria (Journal of Health Medicine and Nursing 2015, 15. ISSN 2422-8419 Retrieved from http://iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JHMN/article/view/24447) 19. Barriers to HIV/AIDS treatment in Nigeria (American Journal of Health Research, 2015; 3(5): 305-309. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.20150305.17) 20. Globalization and the spread of multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis (Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing 2015, 18. ISSN 2422-8419, http://iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JHMN/article/view/25854/26286) 21. Gender disparity and NNT (European Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2015; 3(3): 71-74. doi: 10.11648/j.ejpm.20150303.16) 22. Incorporating tele-health into disease surveillance (Science Journal of Public Health, 2015:3(4), 583-587. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20150304.28) 23. Impact of hygienic caring of the umbilical cord in the prevention of neonatal tetanus (WebmedCentral PUBLIC HEALTH 2015; 6(5):WMC004891. URL http://www.webmedcentral.com/article_view/4891) 24. Malaria vaccine: the pros and cons (Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 2010; 19(1): 8-13 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njm.v19i1.52464) 25. Acute pulmonary embolism (Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 16(1): 2007; 11-17 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njm.v16i1.37274) 26. Role of HPV vaccine in the prevention of cervical cancer (J Interdiscipl Histopathol 2013; 1(4): 212-216 doi: 10.5455/jihp.20130119122700) 27. TB in HIV patients: strengthening control measures (Nigerian Medical Practitioner, 2011; 59(5-6), 56-61 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/nmp.v59i5-6.70363) 28. Pharmacotherapy for chronic heart failure (Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 2007; 16(2) 102-106 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njm.v16i2.37290) 29. The role of Bosentan in pulmonary arterial hypertension (Nigerian Medical Practitioner, 2007; 51(4), 64-70 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/nmp/v51i4.28844) 30. Role of Iloprost and Bosentan in pulmonary arterial hypertension (Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 2007; 17(1), 13-19 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njm.v17i1.37347) 31. Concurrent therapy in asthma (Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 2006; 15(4), 359-363 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njm.v15i4.37247) 32. Combination therapy in asthma (Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 2008; 17(3), 238-243 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njm.v17i3.37377) 33. Combination therapy in type 2 diabetes mellitus (Nigerian Hospital Practice, 2009; 3(3), 25-29 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/nhp.v3i3-4.45415) 34. Prevention of diabetic nephropathy (Nigerian Medical Practitioner, 2008; 53(3), 28-33 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/nmp.v53i3.28925) 35. Towards elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus in the developing countries: a look at the theory of planned behavior (European Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2015; 3(4), 110-116. doi: 10.11648/j.ejpm.20150304.13) 36. The future of health informatics and electronic health records: a look at the Canadian surveillance systems and electronic health records (Journal of Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics, 2015, 14. ISSN 2422-8427, http://iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JMPB/article/view/22972) 37. How to build a nest for success in the public health Sector: a critical look at the leadership theories (Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2015; 3(4): 133-139. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20150304.12) 38. Public health leadership theory in immunization campaigns: a look at the transactional and transformational leaderships (Journal of Health Medicine and Nursing, 2015, 15. ISSN 2422-8419, http://iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JHMN/article/view/24448) 39. Assessing the Knowledge, Practice and Attitudes (KPA) of Traditional Healers in Malaria Control Programme in Nsukka Zone of Enugu State Nigeria (Journal of Health Medicine and Nursing, 2018, 49. ISSN 2422-8419, http://iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JHMN/article/view/42048/43291) View all posts by Jalal Saleh Michika, PhD, MSc, DM, MBBS, MACE, FACP
Environment and Health 
It’s a good idea and very timely indeed. It is not a hidden fact that society give high regard to medical doctors and thus the environmentalists could easily reach the public through them.
It is in fact welcome for doctors to spearhead environmental health issues. This is because doctors are more likely to understand how to tackle illnesses due to environmental factors.
Doctors are the most ideal group of specialists to untangle the linkages between environment and health. Furthermore, the community look up to them in all that they do especially in the developing countries. Kudos Dr Jalal!