NEJM Group Commits to Addressing Health Harms Driven by Climate Change Crisis with New Article Series

BOSTON, June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NEJM Group today announces the launch of a new monthly article series, "Fossil-Fuel Pollution and Climate Change," that addresses health repercussions of fossil-fuel pollution and climate change. NEJM Group publications – NEJM, NEJM Evidence, and NEJM Catalyst – regularly cover this critical topic, and the series aims to further elevate the discussion around the important consequences of fossil fuel driven health harms.

"Air pollution and climate change aggravate a myriad of health conditions, including heat-related illnesses, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, vector-borne disease, pregnancy complications, and mental health disorders," Caren G. Solomon, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Editor, NEJM and Series Editor wrote with colleagues an accompanying editorial.

In an editorial announcing the series, NEJM Group editors observe, "The primary barrier to an equitable transition away from coal, oil and natural gas is a lack of political will, underpinned by the influence of the fossil-fuel industry." And the first articles in the series further illustrate the health harms caused by fossil fuels, especially for our most vulnerable communities.

Co-edited by Dr. Solomon and Renee Salas, M.D. M.P.H., Harvard University, the article series covers climate change crisis issues from multiple angles for a diverse audience of clinicians, trainees, researchers, public health and policy experts, other health care professionals, and health care systems leaders. Providing practical information for physicians and health systems to minimize these risks, the first articles in this free monthly article series will address key topics on the effect of climate change on clinical practice and public health policies, including:

• the consequences and responses for children's health (NEJM)
• the ramifications of a Supreme Court case against the Environmental Protection Agency (NEJM)
• the broad health harms of air pollution (NEJM Evidence)
• the implications of extreme heat for the health care system (NEJM Catalyst)

Health harms driven by climate change have also led to a call for medical schools and residency programs to incorporate education on the associated health consequences and how to address them. From June 15 – 22, 2022, NEJM Resident 360 (https://resident360.nejm.org/) is hosting an online discussion, "Incorporating Climate Change into the Medical Education Curriculum," in which students, residents, and educators will share information about how they are working with their own institutions to incorporate climate change into  medical training.

Dr. Solomon and colleagues continue, "As members of the medical and care delivery community, our readers are optimally positioned to reduce the devastating consequences of climate change and air pollution by instituting practices and advocating for policies that foster health and equity. As caregivers, we must be leaders in ameliorating these problems. The health of our patients, and our world, demands our engagement."

For more information about the NEJM Group series, visit www.nejm.org/climate-change.

NEJM Group creates high-quality medical resources for research, learning, practice and professional development designed to meet the demand for essential medical knowledge among academic researchers and teachers, physicians, clinicians, executives and others in medicine and health care.  NEJM Group products include the New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM Evidence, NEJM Journal Watch, NEJM Knowledge+, and NEJM Catalyst, NEJM Resident 360, NEJM Yi Xue Qian Yan and NEJM Career Center. NEJM Group is a division of the Massachusetts Medical Society.  For more information visit www.nejmgroup.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jen Zeis
NEJM Group
[email protected]

Paige Knappenberger
Climate Nexus
[email protected] 

SOURCE NEJM Group