This was my conclusion after attending a meeting of The Lancet Commission on Sustainable Healthcare, in Singapore, this month.

This Lancet Commission is dedicated to facilitating a rapid transition to low-carbon, sustainable, resilient health systems and I am lucky to be on its Executive Committee. Immediate Past Chair of our WONCA Working Party on Planetary Health, Enrique Barros (Brazil), is on one of the Commission’s working groups and was also present. Lancet Commission on Sustainable Healthcare (LCSH)

Sustainable healthcare systems provide universal access to appropriate care that optimises health and wellbeing for patients and communities, as well as for future generations, by delivery of care that is needed, wanted, clinically effective, affordable, equitable, responsible in its use of resources, and functioning within planetary boundaries.

The meeting was a strong reminder of the fact that health care is a major emitter of environmental pollutants that adversely affect health. The healthcare industry is responsible for nearly 5.2% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and similar fractions of toxic air pollutants. Health care pollution harms public health, yet remains underappreciated and largely unaddressed, despite the professional mandate to "first, do no harm". For more facts see the key findings of the 2023 report of the Lancet Countdown.

World Family Doctor Day – healthy planet, healthy people

May 19 is World Family Doctor Day (FDD). Since its declaration by WONCA in 2010, FDD has become an annual celebration that recognises the central role of Family Doctors in delivering personal, comprehensive, and continuous health care to patients. It’s a chance for all family doctors of the world to celebrate what we do.

This year’s theme fits my own ‘green’ agenda for WONCA - “healthy planet, healthy people”.

This theme highlights the intrinsic connection between the health of our planet and the well-being of our patients, emphasising the critical role primary healthcare can play in promoting sustainable health practices.

Enrique Barros - making a difference with “one minute for the planet”

Enrique Barros (pictured above with the president) promotes the concept of “one minute for the planet” with his patients. Enrique gives us an example of using this concept:

“Today, while I excised three basal cell carcinomas from a former family farmer, I explained how his cancer was associated with the historical ozone hole above southern Brazil, secondary to pollution. Then, I talked about stopping pollution to avoid climate change and worsening storms and landslides in our region. He nodded. It took me only one minute for the planet.”

Working Party on Planetary Health and WFDD

Our WONCA Working Party on Planetary Health proposes several initiatives for WFDD. They intend to survey WONCA member organisations (MOs) to understand their contribution to planetary health. I encourage all MO representatives to respond.

For individuals, the Working Party hopes to collect stories on planetary health actions in work settings, from family doctors around the world. The aim is to share the best practices related to planetary health among our family doctor community and compile some of the best examples into a book and videos.

The Working Party is also moving forward with a webinar series.

I encourage everyone to get involved and celebrate World Family Doctor Day on May 19. If you want to browse previous years’ reports for ideas they are available here. Some of my favourite posters from years gone by were: