The American Academy of Family Physicians Congress of Delegates rejected a resolution by its New York chapter seeking a stronger stance on climate change. Instead, the medical society's governing body chose to reaffirm an existing policy that expressed concern about the issue but didn't back stronger action.
The AAFP's New York delegates introduced a resolution calling for the group to “concur with the overwhelming majority of current published climate scientists” that climate change is caused by human activity and that the medical community's response to health problems it will cause “is likely to prove inadequate.”
The delegates decided instead to reaffirm a general policy on the ill effects of pollution that was first adopted in 1969. Subsequent amendments did add climate change concerns, but the most recent policy read, “In recognition of the numerous and serious adverse health consequences resulting from pollution, climate change and ozone layer depletion, the AAFP recommends strong action on all public and private levels to limit and correct the pollution of our land, atmosphere and water.”
The New York chapter's resolution had called on the AAFP to affirmatively support public policies that limit and monitor the use of fossil fuels and the production of environmental pollutants.
“It's a little bit of a disappointment,” said Dr. Tochi Iroku-Malize, president of the New York State Academy of Family Physicians. “This is something, as an academy, we need to take a stand on. This is something we need to advocate for.”
Vito Grasso, NYSAFP executive vice president, expressed disappointment in the outcome. He said there is still a feeling that the U.S. in general and its family physicians in particular can't do anything about climate change on their own, “so we shouldn't do anything about it.”
