Medical professionals have a responsibility to lead the fight against climate misinformation to ensure that the public is well informed about the health risks posed by climate change, say experts in The BMJ today.
Misinformation (inaccurate information spread without malicious intent) and disinformation (deliberately deceptive information) in health is not new, write Professor Andy Haines and colleagues.
Just as the rapid spread of false information during the covid-19 pandemic undermined public trust in science and public health interventions, false information also pervades the climate change debate, influencing public perception and policy.
The World Health Organisation has identified climate change as the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century, but the public's understanding of this threat is often clouded by conflicting narratives.
Common myths include the belief that climate change is a hoax designed to push political agendas, a natural phenomenon unaffected by human activity, or that the risks are exaggerated, they explain. “Disinformation activities, often supported by fossil fuel interests, propagate these myths, impeding efforts to mobilise public support for necessary policy changes,” they add.
Social media platforms have also become major conduits for health-related climate disinformation. The covid-19 pandemic showed how quickly misinformation could escalate into a global health crisis. Similar dynamics are at play with climate change, where misinformation can lead to public apathy or resistance towards climate action.
“The amplification of such misinformation by influential figures and networks further entrenches these beliefs, making it challenging to shift public opinion.”
And they note that the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has added a new dimension to the spread of false information, further muddying the waters of public discourse.
“The medical community has a pivotal role in addressing the issue of misinformation around health and climate change,” they conclude.
“By adopting a multifaceted approach that includes robust communication, collaboration with tech companies, education, policy advocacy, and community engagement, the impact of misinformation can be mitigated to ensure that the public is well-informed about the health risks posed by climate change.”
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Journal
The BMJ
Article Title
Opinion: We need to tackle the growing threat of mis- and disinformation about climate change and health
Article Publication Date
9-Oct-2024
COI Statement
Competing interests: AH is a principal investigator Pathfinder Initiative 2020-25, co-investigator Sustainable Healthy Food Systems research programme 2017-23, co-investigator Complex Urban Systems for Sustainability and Health (CUSSH) 2017-23—all funded by the Wellcome Trust, with additional funding from the Oak Foundation for the Pathfinder initiative; reports royalties from Cambridge University Press; has received travel support from WHO and Human Frontiers Science Program; 2022-24 member, Cool Roofs trial steering committee Nouna Research Centre, Burkina Faso/University of Heidelberg; 2023-24 co-chair International Advisory Committee, NIHR Clean-Air (Africa) Global Health Research Unit; 2023 member Independent Advisory Group, Collaboration for the Establishment of an African Population Cohort Consortium (CE-APCC); co-chair InterAcademy Partnership, Climate Change and Health Working Group 2019-22; US National Academy of Medicine Climate Grand Challenge Steering Committee 2023-25. Chair, SOSCHI Expert Advisory Group, Office of National Statistics; co-director WHO Collaborating Centre on Climate Change, Health and Sustainable Development. HL declares that the Vaccine Confidence Project has funding from the Gates Foundation, Merck, GSK, and the Hong Kong Government. I have consulted with the Gates Medical Research Institute and ApiJect on issues of Vaccine Confidence. SP declares that as part of the Vaccine Confidence Project he was a principal investigator of a project funded by the UK government and was involved in projects funded by Unicef, Meta, WHO, and the Hong Kong government.