As the new Australian parliament takes the reins, health groups are moving to ensure that health minister Sussan Ley addresses a major health threat in this term of government: climate change.
Largely ignored by successive federal governments, the health risks from climate change are increasingly urgent. One or two degrees of warming at a global level may not sound like much, but if you take many organisms (including humans) too far outside their comfort zone, the consequences are deadly.
The Climate and Health Alliance – a coalition of concerned health groups, researchers, academics and professional associations – is calling on the Australian government to develop a national strategy for climate, health and well-being.
How climate change affects health
Major increases in ill-health are anticipated from continued climate change. These include:
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greater rates of injuries, disease and deaths associated with more intense heatwaves, fires and other extreme weather events;
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increased risks of infectious and food- and water-borne diseases;
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health consequences arising from lost work capacity because of extreme weather;
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harmful effects on community mental health; and
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