Former Australian of the year Fiona Stanley has attacked climate change deniers and warned time is running out for Australia to take action to prevent the public health impacts of global warming.

Professor Stanley, a paediatrician, declared “I don’t think I can be silent” and said she was “anxious and angry” about climate science being denigrated.

Professor Fiona Stanley warns that a failure to reduce climate change will see significant negative effects on children's health. Credit:Erin Jonasson

“Once something does become politicised the science goes out the window,” she told the ABC’s Radio National on Thursday.

“At a time when we need science to be used more than ever people are sort of denying the science and the second thing that’s happened with this politicisation of the climate change agenda is the denigration of scientists.