Environmental health
Threats posed by climate change are a leading concern for the health sector, and children are especially vulnerable to its most familiar environmental effects—including changing patterns of infectious diseases, air pollution, rising temperatures, and wildfires—as well as to less explicit health impacts. Children already facing health and social inequities are most susceptible to these threats.
Environmental health is one of the Canadian Paediatric Society’s strategic priorities for 2024—2027.
Environmental Health Working Group
Dr. Sara Citron
Dr. Kelly Cox
Dr. Sergio Fanella
Dr. Anna Gunz (Chair)
Dr. Megan Harrison
Dr. Anne Hicks
Dr. Clara Low-Décarie
Dr. Renée Pang
Dr. Michael van Manen
Mr. Jim Whitestone
Webinar
Dr. Anna Gunz, Chair of the CPS Environmental Health Working Group, discusses some of the ways climate change can impact children’s health, strategies for discussing environmental factors with patients and families, and ideas on adopting eco-friendly practices in a clinical setting.
Resources for clinicians and families
The CPS has collected trustworthy paediatric environmental health resources for patients and clinicians. This page will be updated as new materials are created or vetted by the Canadian Paediatric Society.
Podcast
Coming soon! Healthy Teens: Turning eco-anxiety into eco-action. With host, adolescent medicine specialist Dr. Nicholas Chadi and guests Dr. Robert Selles, R. Psych., and Dr. Anna Gunz, paediatric intensivist and chair of the CPS Environmental Health Working Group.
Last updated: Sep 22, 2025