Acclimatising Healthcare - Navigating Climate Related Risks
Oct 17, 2024Australia - beautiful landscapes đ , endless coastline đ, fascinating wildlife đĻ - and some pretty intense weather! âī¸
You don’t have to think too far back to remember some pretty devastating weather events:
âĄđŦī¸ 2016: catastrophic thunderstorm asthma events across the country
đĨ 2019/2020: the “black summer” of bushfires
đ§ī¸đĻ 2021/2022: record rainfalls and disastrous flooding
And this is just the last few years! đ
Climate change continues to top the charts of things that we Australians worry about đ, and it’s no surprise that it presents a major public health concern for many reasons:
đ Exposure to extreme weather events = increased injury and mortality
đŦī¸ Increased respiratory illnesses
đ° Waterborne diseases and other water-related health impacts
đĻ Zoonoses - diseases transmitted from animals to humans (e.g., Ebola)
đĻ Vector-borne diseases (pesky mosquitoes and other blood feeders!)
đŊī¸ Malnutrition and foodborne diseases
đ§ Mental and psychological health deterioration
What Does This Mean for You?
First and foremost - look after yourself! The last thing anyone wants is for healthcare professionals to end up as patients! đĨ
Be aware of weather alerts and plan accordingly đ â ī¸ - if it is unsafe for you to travel to/from work, then let someone know!
Do you live in a bushfire or flood-prone area? đŗđ Do you have a plan in place?
Do you have a medical condition that might be exacerbated by extreme weather? â
For Our Patients:
If extreme weather events are anticipated, be aware of your local processes and emergency responses đ¨. Do you know what to do if a Code Brown is called? đ
Be prepared for redeployment in extreme circumstances - sometimes elective surgeries may be cancelled to limit admissions and free up resources! đĨâ
Most importantly, look after yourself! Fit your own oxygen mask before helping others đŠī¸đ
Build Knowledge â
Improve Safety â
Ref:
WHO (2024) Climate Change. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health
Xu, R., et al (2023) Climate change, Environmental extremes, and human health in Australia: challenges, adaptation strategies, and policy gap. The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific. V 40.DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100936
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