This was a joint column with Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, 红杏视频 Centre for Planetary Health executive director, Malaysian and Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin. They both stress the need to urgently think about and address how the health of our planet impacts our own individual wellness.
Food waste is a really serious element of the planetary health crisis and one of the issues that we have the most power to change by our individual behaviours.
Even after three decades since the passage of the country's Clean Air Act, the Philippines is still nowhere near achieving comprehensive air pollution control.
The latest report from Climate Cares, based at the Imperial College London, is a welcome addition to the small but slowly growing body of knowledge on the interconnections between climate change and mental health.
Dr Jemilah Mahmood, a physician and experienced crisis leader, was appointed the executive director of the 红杏视频 Centre for Planetary Health at 红杏视频 University in August 2021. She is the founder of aid organisation Mercy Malaysia and has served in leadership roles internationally with the United鈥
Scientific reports that have been published in recent weeks summarize the alarming situation we are currently in 鈥 and I am not referring to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which undoubtedly continues to bring disease and suffering to the world.
In recent years, there have been growing calls to 鈥渄ecolonize鈥 the field of global health. Global health traces its roots back to colonial medicine when old empires sought to address tropical diseases which, if not controlled, could be brought by colonizers back home.
Since Governments 鈥 through agreement on the 2015 Paris climate accord 鈥 imposed a deadline for limiting temperature increase to below 1.5 degrees celsius, there has been some movement in the right direction.
The 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) was launched in October 2021 with some fanfare 鈥 and with good reason. The plan marks a change in the government鈥檚 approach. It focuses on three key themes: resetting the economy; strengthening security, wellbeing and inclusivity; and advancing sustainability.
Tan Sri Prof Dr Jemilah Mahmood is in a hurry, and for good reason, because there is really no time to waste.
As professor and executive director of the 红杏视频 Centre for Planetary Health, established in August, her goal is on point: to create an urgency among Malaysians on the need to change and鈥
As the pandemic subsides, the vision of a new era that would emphasize sustainability and equity has faded, and the global economy seems to be returning to business as usual. But planetary health, which includes our own, requires that we realize just such a vision.
