Health sector warned on climate change risks
The health sector has been urged to prepare for increases in a range of diseases in coming decades, due to the health risks of climate change to Australians. This article appears in the latest edition of the Australian Health Review – the peer reviewed journal of the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association.
“Climate change is already impacting on the world’s burden of disease, contributing to conditions such as malnutrition, cardio-respiratory disease, diarrhoeal disease and changes in the spread of infectious disease,” said researcher Dr Haylee Weaver, department of biomedical research and biochemistry, Australian National University.
“In Australia over the coming decades, climate models indicate that temperatures will increase and rainfall will become more variable. Severe storms, bushfires and droughts are all predicted to increase as result of these changing conditions. We will have more heat events and hot spells and the changes in temperature and precipitation are predicted to affect seasonality and prevalence of infectious diseases,” she said.
“This is likely to result in a greater burden on the health care system although the size and diversity of landscapes in Australia means that the risks to health will not be uniform across the country.
“Some particular hotspots at risk are south-east Australia (drought and fire risks), south-west Australia (reduced precipitation) and coastal Queensland (risks of coastal inundation).
“It is critical that we understand these health risks and prepare for the changing demands on the health care system. Additional research is needed to understand the relationship of climate change to health promotion, policy evaluation and strategic financing of health services. Training of health care professionals about climate change and its effects will also be important in meeting long-term workforce demands.
“Current monitoring and surveillance programs need to be strengthened and information exchange between health jurisdictions improved. For example, data from health workers can assist researchers in improving early warning systems for heat events, storms and outbreaks of infectious diseases.
“Increasing community awareness of climate change–related risks can reduce the vulnerability of groups at risk. Improving equitable access to public health services so that vulnerable parts of the community are not forgotten or excluded is another important adaptation measure.
“Climate change presents health risks to all Australians. However, there are a range of measures that can be undertaken to help the health system prepare for the increased demands resulting from climate change and reduce the impact of these changes on the community,” Dr Weaver said.
