Open Letter: Australian Doctors Call for Federal Election candidates to take climate action to protect health

Dear Candidates,

As doctors and humanitarian workers, we see how climate change affects people's health in Australia and globally—and we know it’s getting worse.

Australians have faced devastating bushfires, deadly heatwaves, and catastrophic floods. We have towns cut off by flooding, families left with nothing, and emergency services stretched beyond their limits. These are not distant threats; they are our reality.

This federal election is a critical moment to put our health first by electing leaders who will take strong climate action. The representatives Australians send to Canberra will determine whether we protect our communities—or allow the health crisis caused by climate change to spiral further.

At Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA), we see climate harm daily and are treating its impacts in our clinical practice.

Heat, fires, floods, and pollution are making people sick. We are seeing:

• Heatstroke and breathing problems from heatwaves and bushfire smoke.
• Anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health issues after disasters.
• Emergencies when floods or fires damage homes and hospitals and cut access to healthcare.
• The impact of rising costs of food, healthcare, energy, and insurance costs on our communities.

At Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), we witness humanitarian crises worsened by climate change worldwide. Many of the communities we serve lack the support systems Australia has. They face poverty, food insecurity, inadequate shelter, and fragile healthcare systems. When extreme weather strikes, survival is even more precarious.

Australia is a major exporter of coal and gas, contributing significantly to climate change. We have a responsibility to help protect communities here and overseas.

Together, DEA and MSF are asking Australians to support candidates who will:

• Stop funding fossil fuels – end public coal, oil, and gas subsidies.
• Invest in renewables – wind and solar provide jobs and are cheap, safe and fast to build.
• Reject nuclear power – it is costly, poses health and environmental risks, takes too long to build, and slows down the move away from fossil fuels.
• Boost climate aid – Expand Australia's aid budget to support Pacific and global communities' responses to climate disasters and protect health.
• Properly fund Australia's National Health and Climate Strategy – This strategy is our roadmap to ensure our health system is equipped to handle the challenges that climate change will bring.

Those with the fewest resources suffer the most from climate change. Voting for climate action is voting for healthier communities and a safer, more equitable future for everyone.

Signed,

Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA)

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Australia