Climate change is a major risk for the future to children and young people. Lack of action to avert the impact of climate change will adversely affect the physical and mental health of children and young people. Positive health benefits could accrue from changes to the way we generate energy, reduce waste, and improve air quality and housing standards.
The Scottish Paediatric Society would like to recognise the urgent need to provide research evidence on the effects of climate change on the health, both physical and mental, of children and young people, and encourage projects that evidence the positive benefits to their health by changes in practice within health settings.
This prize is awarded for relevant research, audit, or a significant project development that provides evidence of influencing the health of children and young people. Some examples or relevant areas may be:
- Direct effects of pollution on children and young people’s health
- Reduced plastic waste by change in NHS prescribing practice, eg inhalers
- Influencing NHS recognition in a hospital or community setting of the need for action in relation to climate change
- Diseases related to increased climate extremes
- Mental health concerns related to climate change