Contrasting current challenges from the Brazilian and Canadian national health systems: The Besrour Papers: a series on the state of family medicine in Canada and Brazil

David Ponka; Luiz Felipe Pinto; Molly Whalen-Browne; Anna Meuser; José Carlos Prado; Ophelia Michaelides; Katherine Rouleau

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RE: Contrasting current challenges from the Brazilian and Canadian national health systems
Adrian Stacy

Published on: 24 December 2019

Published on: (24 December 2019)
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RE: Contrasting current challenges from the Brazilian and Canadian national health systems
Adrian Stacy, CCFP, Student Health Services at Western University
I'd 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 by the article: climate change. This is timely given Roger Ladouceur's recent call for involvement by family physicians. (1) Both countries have large areas with vast expanses of natural areas inhabited by indigenous populations whose way of life and local environment are threatened. (2,3) In addressing health inequity, we need to act to address climate change and it stands to impact those populations heavily. As healthcare is being increasingly recognized as a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, the mention of telemedicine and electronic consultations to bolster care to rural areas are important tools to help serve those areas that reduces emissions compared to travelling in-person to attend consultations, or travelling consultants. (4,5) We should also count on our family physicians to take action at the disease that is climate change by advocating for action against climate change. The Besrour Centre could be an effective communication tool to share effective interventions against climate change across continents. The Besrour Centre could also put pressure on two large governments that need to do more for their people, and their people's health.

1.
Ladouceur R. Our fight against climate change. Canadian Family Physician [Internet]. 2019 Nov 1 [cited 2019 Dec 25];65(11):766–766....
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I'd 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 by the article: climate change. This is timely given Roger Ladouceur's recent call for involvement by family physicians. (1) Both countries have large areas with vast expanses of natural areas inhabited by indigenous populations whose way of life and local environment are threatened. (2,3) In addressing health inequity, we need to act to address climate change and it stands to impact those populations heavily. As healthcare is being increasingly recognized as a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, the mention of telemedicine and electronic consultations to bolster care to rural areas are important tools to help serve those areas that reduces emissions compared to travelling in-person to attend consultations, or travelling consultants. (4,5) We should also count on our family physicians to take action at the disease that is climate change by advocating for action against climate change. The Besrour Centre could be an effective communication tool to share effective interventions against climate change across continents. The Besrour Centre could also put pressure on two large governments that need to do more for their people, and their people's health.

1.
Ladouceur R. Our fight against climate change. Canadian Family Physician [Internet]. 2019 Nov 1 [cited 2019 Dec 25];65(11):766–766. Available from: https://www.cfp.ca/content/65/11/766
2.
Schnitter R, Berry P. The Climate Change, Food Security and Human Health Nexus in Canada: A Framework to Protect Population Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [Internet]. 2019 Jan [cited 2019 Dec 25];16(14):2531. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/14/2531
3.
Inuit express solidarity with Indigenous peoples in Amazon as Brazil fires rage - APTN NewsAPTN News [Internet]. [cited 2019 Dec 25]. Available from: https://aptnnews.ca/2019/08/31/inuit-express-solidarity-with-indigenous-...
4.
Ponka D, Pinto LF, Whalen-Browne M, Meuser A, Prado JC, Michaelides O, et al. Contrasting current challenges from the Brazilian and Canadian national health systems: The Besrour Papers: a series on the state of family medicine in Canada and Brazil. Canadian Family Physician [Internet]. 2019 Dec 1 [cited 2019 Dec 25];65(12):890–6. Available from: https://www.cfp.ca/content/65/12/890
5.
Ponka D, Pinto LF, Michaelides O, Rouleau K. Challenges facing efforts to strengthen primary health care: The Besrour Papers: a series on the state of family medicine in Canada and Brazil. Canadian Family Physician [Internet]. 2018 Nov 1 [cited 2019 Dec 25];64(11):795–6. Available from: https://www.cfp.ca/content/64/11/795
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Competing Interests: Avid downhill skier