Wildfires and public health

Due to the recent wildfires raging across and U.S. and around the world, we are re-featuring this piece today from 2021.

In 2021, I traveled to Greece for both work and leisure. The locals said the wildfires were the worse they’d seen in over a decade. The proximity of the fires to rural villages, as well as to my own hometown, created a surreal and frightening experience.

There was a literal blanket of daily smoke and smog from the nearby wildfires. Preparing for evacuation, reviewing what to take and what to leave, and daily community gatherings discussing emergency plans; this was the reality of the situation. The fires threatened thousands of Greeks, not just with their lives, but with their cultural identity. Homes, towns, and archaeological sites were all threatened. Mother Nature doesn’t pause. She’s in full force at all times.

Healthcare professionals must work with the community they serve, focusing on open dialogues and communication, in order for citizens to be prepared for anything and everything. Promoting health, preserving communities, and reaffirming cultural identity; all of these can be accomplished with public health communications and collaboration. Medicine is a public trust; it must be so against all health crises that threaten the very public medicine is determined to protect.

This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.