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Montreal family doctor Claudel Pétrin-Desrosiers sees climate change as an all-encompassing"risk amplifier."
Hackett and Pétrin-Desrosiers are the lead co-authors of a policy brief on Canada released last week alongside a global report produced by the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change, which is published by the Lancet medical journal. It says heat waves may increase the number of emergency room visits by 10 to 15 per cent, further straining health-care capacity and reducing quality of care.
Health Canada's own assessment of climate change and health published earlier this year says global heating is"already affecting the health of Canadians, and, without taking concerted action, will continue to result in injury, illness and death." Both the Health Canada and public health officer's reports emphasize the importance of involving people who are most affected by climate change in adaptation planning, noting vulnerability is often linked with additional social inequities, such as low income, inadequate housing and food insecurity.