This list of updates from The Conversation is all about Climate and why AFMW’s Climate Health Action Group (CHAG) is so important. It explains why we as AFMW should be engaged and outspoken on this issue of climate change and climate health impacts.
It’s at the very heart of health and wellbeing of everyone but wherever there are vulnerable people, these very often are women and children, women with children, marginalised people such as refugees, CALD community members with minimal English who often work in compromising and harsh conditions, the effects are felt earlier and more intensely.
AFMW is taking action as listed:
- AFMW Statement on Climate Change Health Emergency
- AFMW advocacy at state, national and international levels
- AFMW member participation and awareness through articles, webinars and workshops
- Better Futures Australia Roundtable’s discussions participated in the working groups and attending the BFA conference 17/18 August 2021
- DEA – forging a strong relationship with Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) through our MOU and joint work/ projects
- Climate and Health Health Alliance (CAHA) membership
- Climate Action Network Australia (CANA) – adding our logo to their joint statement sent to federal decision makers of the necessity for shorter term targets and that Australian must slash climate pollution this decade
- Sharing and recirculating of articles that inform and call us to action such as the following from this weeks’ The Conversation’
photo credit – https://theconversation.com/the-water-cycle-is-intensifying-as-the-climate-warms-ipcc-report-warns-that-means-more-intense-storms-and-flooding-165590
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is the Immediate Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor. Magda is member of The Australian Health Team contributing monthly articles.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
