Acclimatising Healthcare - Navigating Climate Related Risks

climate climate change environment safety Oct 17, 2024

Australia - beautiful landscapes 🌅, endless coastline 🌊, fascinating wildlife đŸĻ˜ - and some pretty intense weather! ⛈ī¸

You don’t have to think too far back to remember some pretty devastating weather events:

⚡đŸŒŦī¸ 2016: catastrophic thunderstorm asthma events across the country 

đŸ”Ĩ 2019/2020: the “black summer” of bushfires 

🌧ī¸đŸ’Ļ 2021/2022: record rainfalls and disastrous flooding

And this is just the last few years! 📅

Climate change continues to top the charts of things that we Australians worry about 😟, and it’s no surprise that it presents a major public health concern for many reasons:

🚑 Exposure to extreme weather events = increased injury and mortality

đŸŒŦī¸ Increased respiratory illnesses

🚰 Waterborne diseases and other water-related health impacts

đŸĻ  Zoonoses - diseases transmitted from animals to humans (e.g., Ebola)

đŸĻŸ Vector-borne diseases (pesky mosquitoes and other blood feeders!)

đŸŊī¸ Malnutrition and foodborne diseases

🧠 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! đŸĨ

Be aware of weather alerts and plan accordingly 📅⚠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? đŸŒŗ🌊 Do you have a plan in place?

Do you have a medical condition that might be exacerbated by extreme weather? ❗

For Our Patients:

If extreme weather events are anticipated, be aware of your local processes and emergency responses 🚨. Do you know what to do if a Code Brown is called? 🚑

Be prepared for redeployment in extreme circumstances - sometimes elective surgeries may be cancelled to limit admissions and free up resources! đŸĨ❌

Most importantly, look after yourself! Fit your own oxygen mask before helping others 🛩ī¸đŸ’™

Build Knowledge ✅
Improve Safety ✅

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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