Future Doctors Call For Action In Global Health, Australian Medical Association

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 18 Apr 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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The Australian Medical Students' Association (AMSA) affirmed its commitment to tackling Global Health issues, in the lead up to the 2020 Summit this weekend.

AMSA President Michael Bonning said that the organisation was thrilled to be a signatory of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition petition being delivered tomorrow to Minister for Youth, Ms Kate Ellis.

"The health effects of climate change already include increased heat related illness and deaths, increased food and water borne diseases, and changing patterns of disease," Mr Bonning said.

"It is our members as future doctors, who will be dealing with the future health impacts of today's policies, and the consequences of climate change," he said.

"As a socially responsible organisation, AMSA recognizes the need to motivate our members and the wider community to become more active with respect to action on climate change." Mr Bonning said.

"Becoming a signatory on this petition to Ms Ellis forms part of AMSA's ongoing commitment to Global Health," Mr Bonning said.

Delivering the petition on behalf of AMSA will be Negin Sedaghat, a third year medical student from Australian National University, who is Chair of the AMSA Global Health Network, a committee formed to tackle global health issues.

AMSA has a long history of tackling global health issues, and affirms global issues as one of the 6 core operational areas of the organisation. The AMSA Global Health Conference has this year proposed, to AusAID, a plan to bring 25 medical students from developing nations to Australia for an intense 4 days of health advocacy education, project development and policy sessions.

Along with this call for action on climate change, AMSA applauds the idea of a Health Impact Fund, an issue to be addressed at this weekend's 2020 Summit. This is an initiative developed to provide low cost pharmaceuticals to the developing world, by making diseases, that do great harm among the poor, attractive targets of research.

"This is a prime opportunity for government to embrace practical solutions championed by young people and establish Australia as a world leader in the fight for global health improvement."

Australian Medical Association