Climate change in common

I would like to draw attention to another challenge that both Brazilian and Canadian family physicians will have to face in upcoming years, one that was not addressed in the article by Ponka et al in the December issue of Canadian Family Physician¹: climate change. This is timely given Dr Roger Ladouceur’s recent call for involvement by family physicians.² Both countries have large areas with vast natural areas inhabited by Indigenous populations whose ways of life and local environment are threatened.^3,4 In addressing health inequity, we need to act to address climate change, and it stands to affect Indigenous populations heavily. As health care is being increasingly recognized as a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, telemedicine and electronic consultations to bolster care in rural areas are important low-emission alternatives to traveling in person to attend consultations, or to traveling consultants.^1,5 We should also count on our family physicians to advocate for action against the disease that is climate change. The Besrour Centre could be an effective communication tool to share interventions against climate change across continents. The Besrour Centre could also put pressure on 2 large governments that need to do more for their people and their people’s health.