Aged care industry welcomes climate strategy for health

The chief executive officer of Aged Care Association Australia (ACAA), Rod Young, welcomed the announcement by the Rudd Government of its commitment to develop a national strategy for health and climate change. He said  the industry would be happy to contribute to the strategy.

The government will provide $10 million to the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the CSIRO to fund the project.

The strategy comes in response to a projected increase in health risks, such as infectious diseases and health-related deaths, as a result of climate change.

It is expected that the number of heath-related deaths in Australia’s capital cities will double to about 2,300 by 2020.

Mr Young also stressed the importance of considering the impact of climate change on health services and infrastructure for older Australians.

“The growth in the Australian population over 65 years to 7.2 million over the next 30 years…means detailed research into the likely impact on the elderly will be essential to ensure the provision of adequate and appropriate health and housing services,” he said.

Mr Young added that planning for these changes must commence immediately because this type of reform usually takes some time and requires significant community education