The intersection of pediatric surgery, climate change, and equity

Climate change is occurring at an unprecedented rate. Recent years have seen heatwaves, wildfires, floods, droughts, and re-emerging infectious diseases fueled by global warming. Global warming has also increased the frequency and severity of surgical disease, particularly for children, who bear an estimated 88% of the global burden of disease attributable to climate change. Health care delivery itself weighs heavily on the environment, accounting for nearly 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Within the health care sector, surgery and anesthesia are particularly carbon intensive. The surgical community must prioritize the intersection of climate change and pediatric surgery in order to address pediatric surgical disease on a global scale, while reducing the climate impact of surgical care delivery. This review defines the current state of climate change and its effects on pediatric surgical disease, discusses climate justice, and outlines actions to reduce the climate impact of surgical services. Level of Evidence: Level V. (c) 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Climate change is rapidly occurring, causing heatwaves, wildfires, floods, droughts, and re-emerging infectious diseases. Children bear the majority of the disease burden due to climate change. The healthcare sector, particularly surgery and anesthesia, has a significant carbon footprint. It is crucial for the surgical community to prioritize addressing pediatric surgical disease in the context of climate change and reduce the environmental impact of surgical care.