World bioethics day: Doctors as stewards of health and environment

Dear Editor, Every year, “World Bioethics Day” is observed worldwide to highlight the ethical principles that connect health, science, and our environment. This year’s theme “Protection of the environment, the biosphere, and biodiversity,” asserts the connection between human well-being and a healthy environment. It reminds us that protecting life also means protecting the planet that sustains it. But how can we, the medical doctors, be involved in this? Medical professionals are mainly engaged in providing patient care, but their role does not end there. With changes in the biosphere such as pollution, climate change, and various disease outbreaks, ethics in public health is of prime importance. Air pollution not only exacerbates respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, but also disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, raising concerns of social justice, and equity in health.[1] Water and soil pollution serve as significant sources of infection and health hazards. Polluted water can transmit dangerous microbes, leading to illnesses such as diarrhea, hepatitis, and cholera, while exposure to toxic chemicals in both water and soil is linked to cancers, organ damage, and developmental disorders. Contaminated soils may harbor pathogens or hazardous substances that not only affect food safety and crop yield, but also can be ingested or enter the body through direct contact, causing acute, or chronic disease.[2] Water and soil pollution along with climate change are also responsible for disease outbreaks such as Guillain Barre syndrome, cholera and Burkholderia pseudomallei.[2,3] Zoonotic disease outbreaks such as Covid-19 pandemic, MERS, Ebola, or SARS, raise critical bioethical concerns, emphasizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health under the One Health approach.[4] Bioethics is not just a set of rules but a call to act responsibly. Medical professionals should uphold the principles of bioethics by taking responsibility to advocate cleaner air and environment. They should get actively involved in educating communities about the profound interconnections between human health and a healthy environment. They must emphasize that these environmental risks are crucial determinants of public health and infection prevention. It is time to remember that although science gives us the power to act, ethics gives us the wisdom to act rightly. Let us commit ourselves to protecting both humanity and the Earth. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.