The Covid-19 pandemic, that hit the world, dramatically changes our life.
New tasks are risen not only in front of the world health system, but governments. The situation takes its course, that the way out of the Covid-19 crisis is need to be found by medical personnel as well as politicians.
Naturally, the World Medical Association (WMA) is the world medical parliament, international organization, representing doctors all over the world, and sets its own international standards of medical activity, which are mandatory for implementation of all doctors and take some measures to fight against the new threat to human life on the planet.
Considering the current situation in September the WMA members held an online meeting. It was devoted to Covid-19, climate change and policy. At the invitation of the WMA Chair of the Associate Members Joe Heyman, Stepan Firstov took part in the webinar. Stepan Firstov has been delegating to the WMA GA since 2014. He participates at the WMA meetings and events as an Associate Member.
Aaron Bernstein presented his report on Covid-19, climate change and politics to participants. He is also the Interim Director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. His scientific researches mainly focus on the issue of the global climate crisis. He emphasizes interaction between climate changes and human health. Activity of many enterprises has bad influence not only on public health, but also leads to glaciers melting, heat, evaporation of carbon dioxide into the upper lairs of atmosphere, which is harmful for ecosystems and all life. Many chronic diseases start to develop, and as a result, the Covid-10 virus is always to be found in people of especially vulnerable groups.
The main factor influencing the Covid-19 spread is destruction of natural ecosystems, black market trade and urbanization, and the main issue of the climate crisis is the transaction to natural energy sources instead of fossil fuel according to dr. Bernstein. In addition to the Covid-19 and climate change, there are also health nutrition, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.
The report provoked active discussion. Chief of Occupational & Environmental Medicine in the Chicago clinic of Illinois university dr. Peter Orris helps to answer the questions from participants. He emphasizes the importance of medical profession and the need to establish interaction within governments and development of the health system in general.