CLIMATE change, biodiversity loss and air pollution are the great threats to human health this century, Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer has said.
In his annual report, Professor Gregor Smith said the “triple planetary health crisis” amounted to a public health emergency.
He said the global healthcare system itself was “substantially” contributing to the problem, producing around 5% of the world’s emissions.
Calling for urgent action on the issue, Smith said: “Just as we as individuals do not exist in isolation, human and planetary health are intertwined.
“We are part of an interconnected ecosystem and whether it be new approaches to sustainable agriculture, materials or healthcare, this innovation is well established across Scotland.
“There is more we can do in areas such as sustainable diets to prevent ill health, reduce pressure on our health services and reduce our impact on the natural world.
“Shifting towards sustainable, healthy diets and cutting food waste are key opportunities for reducing emissions and pressure on nature, in Scotland and overseas.
“This can go hand in hand with improving our health and easing pressure on our NHS.”
He added: “Restoring and strengthening that connection between ourselves and the planet need not be seen as a problem.
“When it comes to the future health of both, it is part of the solution.”
The health expert described Scotland’s natural environment as an “invaluable resource” to improve the health of its people, as well as the wider planet.
In his report, the Chief Medical Officer also warned that the focus on finding efficiencies in the healthcare could lead to worse outcomes for Scots.
He said he was “concerned” that “if we apply this lens of efficiency inappropriately to all aspects of healthcare, we may lose that vital connection and provide sub-optimal, transactional, industrialised care instead”.
He added: “There is a very real risk that this loss of connection will prevent us from seeing the people we care for as they wish to be seen and understanding what matters to them. It is this transactional approach to care that can lead to overtreatment, potential harm, wasted resources and to decision regret.”
Looking to the future, Smith said artificial intelligence (AI) would begin to play a “significant” role in the NHS “in the very near future”.
However, he said that AI could not replace the “wisdom” of healthcare professionals, while stressing the importance of human connection in healthcare.
The Chief Medical Officer said Scotland’s healthcare system, and wider society, must urgently prioritise preventing disease, rather than treating it once it happens.
He said: “If we are to address the health challenges that lie ahead, it is not only our health and care system that must have a greater focus on prevention, but all parts of society, including national and local government, public services and the voluntary and commercial sectors.
“I remain optimistic that the forthcoming Population Health Framework will provide this much-needed focus.
“If we can support the people we care for to be healthier for longer, significant improvements in their health could be achieved, allowing them to experience life, contribute to their families and communities and remain economically active for longer too.”
