Environmental impacts on health
Climate change has the potential to affect human health. The main concerns addressed in this section deal with the implications of these environmental factors on the health of people in Victoria.
Health impacts resulting from climate change
Governments and international organisations are becoming increasingly aware of the predicted impacts of climate change. In 2003, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published Climate Change and Human Health - Risks and Responses. In its report, it noted that the global average temperature is increasing as a result of human-related activities and this poses a threat to human population health.
The view of the WHO is that climate change will result in a range of associated health impacts including increases in illnesses and diseases. This may most easily by identified by additional health, social, environmental and economic impacts. Climate change is expected to displace persons through such events as flooding.
Predicted Australian health impacts associated with climate change
The Australian Greenhouse Office has published Climate Change: An Australian Guide to the Science and the Potential Impacts (available as a PDF file from: www.greenhouse.gov.au/science/guide/index.html), which sets out the main facts and uncertainties of climate change and aims to provide Australians with policy-relevant, advice and source material. The report details that climate change could result in increases in:
- Vector borne diseases, many of which are temperature sensitive and may include diseases carried by mosquitos and rodents
- Food and water born diseases including an increase in gastro-intestinal diseases
- Extreme weather related health effects such as temperature related illness and respiratory problems
- Health impacts associated with increased exposure to solar radiation due to the combined effect of ozone depletion and greenhouse gas-induced warming
- Mental health impacts especially in drought and storm affected areas.
Research and adaptation
While international and national research has identified a range of significant climate change induced health effects there has been limited research to date on the impacts of climate change on human health in Victoria. The Victorian Government will commence work in 2005-2006 to address this knowledge gap with a view to informing future policy development, in particular clarifying the range of implications for health care service delivery and identifying the priority areas for further work on adaptive responses. The DHS Public Health Group will play a leading role in the identification and management of climate change public health impacts in Victoria.