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:

• Child health inequalities part 1 - Talking with families
• Child health inequalities part 2 - interviews with two quality improvement projects
• Our voices: young people and climate change