The Malta College of Family Doctors (MCFD) and the Association of Private Family Doctors (APFD), on the occasion of world family doctor’s day, said that they ”look forward for further steps that strengthen our environment as a means to improve people’s health.”

They said that this is in line with the message of the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians (WONCA).

World Family Doctor Day, celebrated annually on May 19th, is a key event in the calendar of family doctors. It is dedicated to highlighting the vital contributions of family doctors in healthcare systems worldwide.

The Organisations said that this year the focus is on the connection between the health of the planet and the well-being of our patients.

Over the past decades they said that the country has successfully invested in relevant issues, such as:

– ”its waste water infrastructure to improve the quality of bathing water with notable decrease in the number of cases of infections coming from swimming in contaminated coastal waters;

– the management of nature and marine reserves, leading to a better experience for people looking for mental and physical therapy and well-being in natural areas; and

– the conversion of heavy fuel oil to natural gas in its generation of electricity, drastically reducing noxious particulates, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the air we breathe.”

The two Voluntary Organisations stated however that ”more investment and strong decisions are needed to achieve improved targets,” such as:

– ”a drastic reduction in the emissions of noxious gases and particulates from vehicular traffic, as the European Environment Authority’s Air Quality Report 2022 attributes 150 premature deaths in Malta due to PM2.5 alone;

– a hastened endeavour to achieve waste reduction, recycling and management targets to reduce the release of harmful chemicals and gases, the contamination of water sources, the emission of human-related methane gas and the opportunities for disease vectors;

– a rethinking of urban spatial planning, as more people are feeling the psychological impact of living in a permanent construction site that is changing the landscape of traditional villages and the fabric of our communities, coupled with a renewed commitment to more nature reserves that would ameliorate the leisure and wellbeing of people, as proposals such as the Archaeological Park at Has-Saptan, Qoton and Zembaq Valleys in Birzebbuga seems stalled and the future of pristine areas like Hondoq ir-Rummien and Delimara is unclear.”

‘The Organisations went on to say that ”family doctors play a crucial role in promoting the health and well-being of individuals and communities as they are a trusted source of support for patients and families, and would support the necessary strong decisions moving forwards towards sustainability.”

Additionally, ”family doctors call for stakeholders in the health sector to lead by example to bring about the changes necessary to improve the health of our planet and consequently the health of our patients,” they said.

File photo Gozo News/Chimney in urban area

Permalink: Family Doctors call for a healthy planet for the well-being of patients