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Pilowsky JK, Lane K, Learmonth G, Walsh O, Scowen C, Williams L, Nguyen N. Environmental impact of a blood test reduction intervention in adult intensive care units: A before and after quality improvement project. Aust Crit Care 2024; 37:761-766. [PMID: 38755050 DOI: 10.1016/j.aucc.2024.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pathology testing is a very common investigation in the intensive care unit (ICU). Many tests are ordered on a routine basis rather than for a specific clinical indication, resulting in potential patient harm and unnecessary financial and environmental costs. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine whether a multifaceted intervention based on the principles of education, audit, and feedback can result in a decrease in unnecessary pathology tests without a commensurate increase in adverse patient outcomes and to measure this decrease in terms of the associated reduction in environmental and financial costs. METHODS A before and after quality improvement project was conducted between 2017 and 2019 across four ICUs in three 12-month phases, divided according to baseline, intervention implementation, and follow-up. Local clinician champions from each site partnered with the project coordinating centre to develop and implement a range of interventions based on the principles of education, audit, and feedback. Data were collected for the number of pathology tests performed and the clinical characteristics of patients admitted to a participating ICU across the three phases. RESULTS A total of 196 323 arterial blood gases and 460 258 other tests across eight categories were performed on the 22 210 patients admitted to participating ICUs during the project. A decrease in testing was observed across all but one category, with the greatest reduction seen in arterial blood gases (31.2% reduction in tests per bed-day). Across all categories, this equated to a mean reduction of 1.8 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent), a potential estimated total saving of Australian dollar $918 497.50. No increase in adverse clinical outcomes was observed. CONCLUSION A multifaceted intervention based on the principles of education, audit, and feedback can produce a significant decrease in the number of unnecessary pathology tests performed. This reduction translates to substantial environmental and financial savings without any associated increase in adverse patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia K Pilowsky
- Agency for Clinical Innovation, NSW Health, Australia; University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Kathleen Lane
- Agency for Clinical Innovation, NSW Health, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | - Nhi Nguyen
- Agency for Clinical Innovation, NSW Health, Australia; University of Sydney, Australia; Nepean Hospital, Australia
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2
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Osborne NJ, Amoatey P, Selvey L, Phung D. Temporal changes in temperature-related mortality in relation to the establishment of the heat-health alert system in Victoria, Australia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2024; 68:1637-1647. [PMID: 38709342 PMCID: PMC11282152 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-024-02691-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Extreme heat alerts are the most common form of weather forecasting services used in Australia, yet very limited studies have documented their effectiveness in improving health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the temporal changes in temperature-related mortality in relation to the activation of the heat-health alert and response system (HARS) in the State of Victoria, Australia. We examined the relationship between temperatures and mortality using quasi-Poisson regression and the distributed lag non-linear model (dlnm) and compared the temperature-mortality association between the two periods: period 1- prior-HARS (1992-2009) and period 2- post-HARS (2010-2019). Since the HARS heavily weights heatwave effects, we also compared the main effects of heatwave events between the two periods. The heatwaves were defined for three levels, including 3 consecutive days at 97th, 98th, and 99th percentiles. We also controlled the potential confounding effect of seasonality by including a natural cubic B-spline of the day of the year with equally spaced knots and 8 degrees of freedom per year. The exposure-response curve reveals the temperature mortality was reduced in period 2 in comparison with period 1. The relative risk ratios (RRR) of Period 2 over Period 1 were all less than one and gradually decreased from 0.86 (95% CI, 0.72-1.03) to 0.64 (95% CI, 0.33-1.22), and the differences in attributable risk percent increased from 13.2 to 25.3%. The reduction in the risk of heatwave-related deaths decreased by 3.4% (RRp1 1.068, 95% CI, 1.024-1.112 versus RRp2 1.034, 95% CI, 0.986-1.082) and 10% (RRp1 1.16, 95% CI, 1.10-1.22 versus RRp2 1.06, 95% CI, 1.002-1.119) for all groups of people. The study indicated a decrease in heat-related mortality following the operation of HARS in Victoria under extreme heat and high-intensity heatwaves conditions. Further studies could investigate the extent of changes in mortality among populations of differing socio-economic groups during the operation of the heat-health alert system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Osborne
- School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, University of Queensland, 266 Herston Rd, 4006, Herston, QLD, Australia
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), University of Exeter Medical School, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, Cornwall, UK
| | - Patrick Amoatey
- School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Linda Selvey
- School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dung Phung
- School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, University of Queensland, 266 Herston Rd, 4006, Herston, QLD, Australia.
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Chen G, Guo Y, Yue X, Xu R, Yu W, Ye T, Tong S, Gasparrini A, Bell ML, Armstrong B, Schwartz J, Jaakkola JJK, Lavigne E, Saldiva PHN, Kan H, Royé D, Urban A, Vicedo-Cabrera AM, Tobias A, Forsberg B, Sera F, Lei Y, Abramson MJ, Li S. All-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality and wildfire-related ozone: a multicountry two-stage time series analysis. Lancet Planet Health 2024; 8:e452-e462. [PMID: 38969473 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(24)00117-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wildfire activity is an important source of tropospheric ozone (O3) pollution. However, no study to date has systematically examined the associations of wildfire-related O3 exposure with mortality globally. METHODS We did a multicountry two-stage time series analysis. From the Multi-City Multi-Country (MCC) Collaborative Research Network, data on daily all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory deaths were obtained from 749 locations in 43 countries or areas, representing overlapping periods from Jan 1, 2000, to Dec 31, 2016. We estimated the daily concentration of wildfire-related O3 in study locations using a chemical transport model, and then calibrated and downscaled O3 estimates to a resolution of 0·25° × 0·25° (approximately 28 km2 at the equator). Using a random-effects meta-analysis, we examined the associations of short-term wildfire-related O3 exposure (lag period of 0-2 days) with daily mortality, first at the location level and then pooled at the country, regional, and global levels. Annual excess mortality fraction in each location attributable to wildfire-related O3 was calculated with pooled effect estimates and used to obtain excess mortality fractions at country, regional, and global levels. FINDINGS Between 2000 and 2016, the highest maximum daily wildfire-related O3 concentrations (≥30 μg/m3) were observed in locations in South America, central America, and southeastern Asia, and the country of South Africa. Across all locations, an increase of 1 μg/m3 in the mean daily concentration of wildfire-related O3 during lag 0-2 days was associated with increases of 0·55% (95% CI 0·29 to 0·80) in daily all-cause mortality, 0·44% (-0·10 to 0·99) in daily cardiovascular mortality, and 0·82% (0·18 to 1·47) in daily respiratory mortality. The associations of daily mortality rates with wildfire-related O3 exposure showed substantial geographical heterogeneity at the country and regional levels. Across all locations, estimated annual excess mortality fractions of 0·58% (95% CI 0·31 to 0·85; 31 606 deaths [95% CI 17 038 to 46 027]) for all-cause mortality, 0·41% (-0·10 to 0·91; 5249 [-1244 to 11 620]) for cardiovascular mortality, and 0·86% (0·18 to 1·51; 4657 [999 to 8206]) for respiratory mortality were attributable to short-term exposure to wildfire-related O3. INTERPRETATION In this study, we observed an increase in all-cause and respiratory mortality associated with short-term wildfire-related O3 exposure. Effective risk and smoke management strategies should be implemented to protect the public from the impacts of wildfires. FUNDING Australian Research Council and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gongbo Chen
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Yuming Guo
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Xu Yue
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Rongbin Xu
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Wenhua Yu
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Tingting Ye
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Shilu Tong
- National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Antonio Gasparrini
- Department of Public Health Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Michelle L Bell
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; School of Health Policy and Management, College of Health Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ben Armstrong
- Department of Public Health Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jouni J K Jaakkola
- Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, OuluUniversity Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eric Lavigne
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Haidong Kan
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dominic Royé
- Department of Geography, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Aleš Urban
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Aurelio Tobias
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Barcelona, Spain; School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Bertil Forsberg
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Francesco Sera
- Department of Statistics, Computer Science and Applications "G Parenti", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Yadong Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather and Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry of China Meteorological Administration, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Michael J Abramson
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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4
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Thanekar UD, Hensher M, Patrick R, Keel G, Forrester M. Exploring opportunities to reduce scope 3 emissions in renewably powered health services. Med J Aust 2024; 220:550-553. [PMID: 38741349 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.52308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Urvi D Thanekar
- Sustainable Health Network, Institute of Health Transformation, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC
| | - Martin Hensher
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS
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Xu Z, Yi W, Bach A, Tong S, Ebi KL, Su H, Cheng J, Rutherford S. Multimorbidity and emergency hospitalisations during hot weather. EBioMedicine 2024; 104:105148. [PMID: 38705102 PMCID: PMC11087953 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with chronic diseases are a commonly listed heat-vulnerable group in heat-health action plans. While prior research identifies multiple health conditions that may increase vulnerability to ambient heat, there is minimal evidence regarding the implications of multimorbidity (two or more chronic diseases). METHODS From the statewide hospital registry of Queensland, Australia, we identified people aged ≥15 years who had emergency hospitalisation(s) between March 2004 and April 2016 and previously had 0, 1, 2, or ≥3 of five chronic diseases: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental disorders, asthma/COPD, and chronic kidney disease. We conducted time-stratified case-crossover analyses to estimate the odds ratio of hospitalisations associated with ambient heat exposure in people with different numbers, types, and combinations of chronic diseases. Ambient heat exposure was defined as a 5 °C increase in daily mean temperature above the median. FINDINGS There were 2,263,427 emergency hospitalisations recorded (48.7% in males and 51.3% in females). When the mean temperature increased, hospitalisation odds increased with chronic disease number, particularly in older persons (≥65 years), males, and non-indigenous people. For instance, in older persons with 0, 1, 2, or ≥3 chronic diseases, the odds ratios associated with ambient heat exposure were 1.00 (95% confidence interval: 0.96, 1.04), 1.06 (1.02, 1.09), 1.08 (1.02, 1.14), and 1.13 (1.07, 1.19), respectively. Among the chronic diseases, chronic kidney disease, and asthma/COPD, either existing alone, together, or in combination with other diseases, were associated with the highest odds of hospitalisations under ambient heat exposure. INTERPRETATION While individuals with multimorbidity are considered in heat-health action plans, this study suggests the need to consider specifically examining them as a distinct and vulnerable subgroup. FUNDING Wellcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Xu
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia; Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
| | - Weizhuo Yi
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia; School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Aaron Bach
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia; Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Shilu Tong
- National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kristie L Ebi
- Center for Health and the Global Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Hong Su
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jian Cheng
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Shannon Rutherford
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia; Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
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6
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Van Haeften S, Campbell BC, Milic A, Addison-Smith E, Al Kouba J, Huete A, Beggs PJ, Davies JM. Environmental DNA analysis of airborne poaceae (grass) pollen reveals taxonomic diversity across seasons and climate zones. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 247:117983. [PMID: 38163541 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Grasses populate most biogeographical zones, and their diversity influences allergic sensitisation to pollen. Previously, the contribution of different Poaceae subfamilies to airborne pollen has mostly been inferred from historical herbarium records. We recently applied environmental (e)DNA metabarcoding at one subtropical site revealing that successive airborne grass pollen peaks were derived from repeated flowering of Chloridoid and Panicoid grasses over a season. This study aimed to compare spatiotemporal patterns in grass pollen exposure across seasons and climate zones. METHODS Airborne pollen concentrations across two austral pollen seasons spanning 2017-2019 at subtropical (Mutdapilly and Rocklea, Queensland) and temperate (Macquarie Park and Richmond, New South Wales) sites, were determined with a routine volumetric impaction sampler and counting by light microscopy. Poaceae rbcL metabarcode sequences amplified from daily pollen samples collected once per week were assigned to subfamily and genus using a ribosomal classifier and compared with Atlas of Living Australia sighting records. RESULTS eDNA analysis revealed distinct dominance patterns of grass pollen at various sites: Panicoid grasses prevailed in both subtropical Mutdapilly and temperate Macquarie Park, whilst Chloridoid grasses dominated the subtropical Rocklea site. Overall, subtropical sites showed significantly higher proportion of pollen from Chloridoid grasses than temperate sites, whereas the temperate sites showed a significantly higher proportion of pollen from Pooideae grasses than subtropical sites. Timing of airborne Pooid (spring), Panicoid and Chloridoid (late spring to autumn), and Arundinoid (autumn) pollen were significantly related to number of days from mid-winter. Proportions of eDNA for subfamilies correlated with distributions grass sighting records between climate zones. CONCLUSIONS eDNA analysis enabled finer taxonomic discernment of Poaceae pollen records across seasons and climate zones with implications for understanding adaptation of grasslands to climate change, and the complexity of pollen exposure for patients with allergic respiratory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanice Van Haeften
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bradley C Campbell
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andelija Milic
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Addison-Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jane Al Kouba
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alfredo Huete
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul J Beggs
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Janet M Davies
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
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7
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Harvey G, Bain-Donohue S, Dewi SP. The impact of extreme heat on older regional and rural Australians: A systematic review. Aust J Rural Health 2024; 32:216-226. [PMID: 38419263 DOI: 10.1111/ajr.13094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Extreme heat causes a major health burden, especially for older Australians. OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of extreme heat on older regional and rural Australians, including clinical presentations, social implications, and health-seeking behaviours and adaptations. DESIGN A systematic review and narrative synthesis. FINDINGS Ten articles were included in the review with research on this topic limited. Extreme heat causes an increase in mortality and ambulance dispatches for older rural Australians. Social connectedness is negatively affected by extreme heat due to cancellation of events and individuals becoming housebound. Air conditioning is the main cooling mechanism used, although cost is a major concern. Despite this, older rural populations display a depth of knowledge regarding practical behavioural responses to adapt to extreme heat. Studies show older rural Australians do not consider extreme heat to be a threat to health. DISCUSSION Further research needs to examine the role extreme heat may play in contributing to experiences of loneliness. Air conditioning cannot be the ultimate solution in responding to extreme heat due to cost and increased carbon emissions. The low-risk perception of extreme heat for older rural people may inform effective heat health warnings and effective use of primary health care in heat-health education. Listening to First Nations knowledge in dealing with heat may provide a powerful mechanism in which to protect health. CONCLUSION The extensive health effects of extreme heat highlights the necessity of further research and strengthening of services in preparation for an ageing rural population enduring climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Harvey
- Medical School - Australian National University (ANU) School of Medicine and Psychology, ANU College of Health and Medicine, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Rural Clinical School, Australian National University (ANU) School of Medicine and Psychology, ANU College of Health and Medicine, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Suzanne Bain-Donohue
- Rural Clinical School, Australian National University (ANU) School of Medicine and Psychology, ANU College of Health and Medicine, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Indigenous Health Unit, Australian National University (ANU) School of Medicine and Psychology, ANU College of Health and Medicine, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Sari Puspa Dewi
- Rural Clinical School, Australian National University (ANU) School of Medicine and Psychology, ANU College of Health and Medicine, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor, Indonesia
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8
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Beggs PJ, Trueck S, Linnenluecke MK, Bambrick H, Capon AG, Hanigan IC, Arriagada NB, Cross TJ, Friel S, Green D, Heenan M, Jay O, Kennard H, Malik A, McMichael C, Stevenson M, Vardoulakis S, Dang TN, Garvey G, Lovett R, Matthews V, Phung D, Woodward AJ, Romanello MB, Zhang Y. The 2023 report of the MJA-Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: sustainability needed in Australia's health care sector. Med J Aust 2024; 220:282-303. [PMID: 38522009 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.52245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
The MJA-Lancet Countdown on health and climate change in Australia was established in 2017 and produced its first national assessment in 2018 and annual updates in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. It examines five broad domains: health hazards, exposures and impacts; adaptation, planning and resilience for health; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; economics and finance; and public and political engagement. In this, the sixth report of the MJA-Lancet Countdown, we track progress on an extensive suite of indicators across these five domains, accessing and presenting the latest data and further refining and developing our analyses. Our results highlight the health and economic costs of inaction on health and climate change. A series of major flood events across the four eastern states of Australia in 2022 was the main contributor to insured losses from climate-related catastrophes of $7.168 billion - the highest amount on record. The floods also directly caused 23 deaths and resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of people. High red meat and processed meat consumption and insufficient consumption of fruit and vegetables accounted for about half of the 87 166 diet-related deaths in Australia in 2021. Correction of this imbalance would both save lives and reduce the heavy carbon footprint associated with meat production. We find signs of progress on health and climate change. Importantly, the Australian Government released Australia's first National Health and Climate Strategy, and the Government of Western Australia is preparing a Health Sector Adaptation Plan. We also find increasing action on, and engagement with, health and climate change at a community level, with the number of electric vehicle sales almost doubling in 2022 compared with 2021, and with a 65% increase in coverage of health and climate change in the media in 2022 compared with 2021. Overall, the urgency of substantial enhancements in Australia's mitigation and adaptation responses to the enormous health and climate change challenge cannot be overstated. Australia's energy system, and its health care sector, currently emit an unreasonable and unjust proportion of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. As the Lancet Countdown enters its second and most critical phase in the leadup to 2030, the depth and breadth of our assessment of health and climate change will be augmented to increasingly examine Australia in its regional context, and to better measure and track key issues in Australia such as mental health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hilary Bambrick
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT
| | - Anthony G Capon
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC
| | | | | | | | | | - Donna Green
- Climate Change Research Centre and ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, UNSW, Sydney, NSW
| | - Maddie Heenan
- Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, Sax Institute, Sydney, NSW
- The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, NSW
| | - Ollie Jay
- Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
| | - Harry Kennard
- Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Mark Stevenson
- Transport, Health and Urban Design (THUD) Research Lab, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
| | - Sotiris Vardoulakis
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT
| | - Tran N Dang
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | | | - Raymond Lovett
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT
- Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra, ACT
| | - Veronica Matthews
- University Centre for Rural Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
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Varghese BM, Hansen A, Mann N, Liu J, Zhang Y, Driscoll TR, Morgan GG, Dear K, Capon A, Gourley M, Prescott V, Dolar V, Bi P. The burden of occupational injury attributable to high temperatures in Australia, 2014-19: a retrospective observational study. Med J Aust 2023; 219:542-548. [PMID: 37992722 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.52171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the population health impact of high temperatures on workplace health and safety by estimating the burden of heat-attributable occupational injury in Australia. STUDY DESIGN, SETTING Retrospective observational study; estimation of burden of occupational injury in Australia attributable to high temperatures during 2014-19, based on Safe Work Australia (work-related traumatic injury fatalities and workers' compensation databases) and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data (Australian Burden of Disease Study and National Hospital Morbidity databases), and a meta-analysis of climate zone-specific risk data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Burden of heat-attributable occupational injuries as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), comprising the numbers of years of life lived with disability (YLDs) and years of life lost (YLLs), nationally, by Köppen-Geiger climate zone, and by state and territory. RESULTS During 2014-19, an estimated 42 884 years of healthy life were lost to occupational injury, comprising 39 485 YLLs (92.1%) and 3399 YLDs (7.9%), at a rate of 0.80 DALYs per 1000 workers per year. A total of 967 occupational injury-related DALYs were attributable to heat (2.3% of occupational injury-related DALYs), comprising 890 YLLs (92%) and 77 YLDs (8%). By climate zone, the heat-attributable proportion was largest in the tropical Am (12 DALYs; 3.5%) and Aw zones (34 DALYs; 3.5%); by state and territory, the proportion was largest in New South Wales and Queensland (each 2.9%), which also included the largest numbers of heat-attributable occupational injury-related DALYs (NSW: 379 DALYs, 39% of national total; Queensland: 308 DALYs; 32%). CONCLUSION An estimated 2.3% of the occupational injury burden in Australia is attributable to high ambient temperatures. To prevent this burden increasing with global warming, adaptive measures and industry-based policies are needed to safeguard workplace health and safety, particularly in heat-exposed industries, such as agriculture, transport, and construction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nick Mann
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra, ACT
| | | | | | | | - Geoffrey G Morgan
- The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
- Centre for Rural Health, the University of Sydney, Lismore, NSW
| | - Keith Dear
- The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA
| | - Anthony Capon
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC
| | | | | | - Vergil Dolar
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra, ACT
| | - Peng Bi
- The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA
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10
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Xu R, Yu P, Liu Y, Chen G, Yang Z, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Beggs PJ, Zhang Y, Boocock J, Ji F, Hanigan I, Jay O, Bi P, Vargas N, Leder K, Green D, Quail K, Huxley R, Jalaludin B, Hu W, Dennekamp M, Vardoulakis S, Bone A, Abrahams J, Johnston FH, Broome R, Capon T, Li S, Guo Y. Climate change, environmental extremes, and human health in Australia: challenges, adaptation strategies, and policy gaps. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. WESTERN PACIFIC 2023; 40:100936. [PMID: 38116505 PMCID: PMC10730315 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Climate change presents a major public health concern in Australia, marked by unprecedented wildfires, heatwaves, floods, droughts, and the spread of climate-sensitive infectious diseases. Despite these challenges, Australia's response to the climate crisis has been inadequate and subject to change by politics, public sentiment, and global developments. This study illustrates the spatiotemporal patterns of selected climate-related environmental extremes (heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and droughts) across Australia during the past two decades, and summarizes climate adaptation measures and actions that have been taken by the national, state/territory, and local governments. Our findings reveal significant impacts of climate-related environmental extremes on the health and well-being of Australians. While governments have implemented various adaptation strategies, these plans must be further developed to yield concrete actions. Moreover, Indigenous Australians should not be left out in these adaptation efforts. A collaborative, comprehensive approach involving all levels of government is urgently needed to prevent, mitigate, and adapt to the health impacts of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongbin Xu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Pei Yu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Yanming Liu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Gongbo Chen
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Zhengyu Yang
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Yiwen Zhang
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Yao Wu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Paul J. Beggs
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Ying Zhang
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Jennifer Boocock
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia
| | - Fei Ji
- NSW Department of Planning and Environment, Sydney, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Ivan Hanigan
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Climate Change and Health Impact Assessment, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Ollie Jay
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Peng Bi
- School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Nicole Vargas
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Medicine and Psychology, College of Health & Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Karin Leder
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Donna Green
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Katie Quail
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Rachel Huxley
- Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Bin Jalaludin
- School of Population Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Wenbiao Hu
- School of Public Health & Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Martine Dennekamp
- Environment Protection Authority Victoria, Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia
| | - Sotiris Vardoulakis
- Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) National Research Network, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Angie Bone
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Jonathan Abrahams
- Monash University Disaster Resilience Initiative, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Fay H. Johnston
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia
| | - Richard Broome
- The New South Wales Ministry of Health, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Tony Capon
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Yuming Guo
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
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11
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Linh Tran NQ, Cam Hong Le HT, Pham CT, Nguyen XH, Tran ND, Thi Tran TH, Nghiem S, Ly Luong TM, Bui V, Nguyen-Huy T, Doan VQ, Dang KA, Thuong Do TH, Thi Ngo HK, Nguyen TV, Nguyen NH, Do MC, Ton TN, Thu Dang TA, Nguyen K, Tran XB, Thai P, Phung D. Climate change and human health in Vietnam: a systematic review and additional analyses on current impacts, future risk, and adaptation. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. WESTERN PACIFIC 2023; 40:100943. [PMID: 38116497 PMCID: PMC10730327 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to investigate climate change's impact on health and adaptation in Vietnam through a systematic review and additional analyses of heat exposure, heat vulnerability, awareness and engagement, and projected health costs. Out of 127 reviewed studies, findings indicated the wider spread of infectious diseases, and increased mortality and hospitalisation risks associated with extreme heat, droughts, and floods. However, there are few studies addressing health cost, awareness, engagement, adaptation, and policy. Additional analyses showed rising heatwave exposure across Vietnam and global above-average vulnerability to heat. By 2050, climate change is projected to cost up to USD1-3B in healthcare costs, USD3-20B in premature deaths, and USD6-23B in work loss. Despite increased media focus on climate and health, a gap between public and government publications highlighted the need for more governmental engagement. Vietnam's climate policies have faced implementation challenges, including top-down approaches, lack of cooperation, low adaptive capacity, and limited resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nu Quy Linh Tran
- Centre for Environment and Population Health, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Australia
| | - Huynh Thi Cam Hong Le
- Child Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Xuan Huong Nguyen
- Centre for Scientific Research and International Collaboration, Phan Chau Trinh University, Quang Nam, Vietnam
| | - Ngoc Dang Tran
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | | | - Son Nghiem
- Department of Health Economics, Wellbeing and Society, Australian National University, Australia
| | - Thi Mai Ly Luong
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Vietnam University of Science, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Vinh Bui
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Australia
| | - Thong Nguyen-Huy
- Centre for Applied Climate Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Australia
| | - Van Quang Doan
- Centre for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kim Anh Dang
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Thi Hoai Thuong Do
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Hieu Kim Thi Ngo
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | | | - Ngoc Huy Nguyen
- Vietnam National University - Vietnam Japan University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Manh Cuong Do
- Health Environment Management Agency, Ministry of Health, Vietnam
| | | | - Thi Anh Thu Dang
- Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue City, Vietnam
| | - Kien Nguyen
- Hue University of Economics, Hue University, Hue City, Vietnam
| | | | - Phong Thai
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Dung Phung
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Australia
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12
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Dam J, Wright A, Bos JJA, Bragge P. Global issues, local action: exploring local governments use of research in "tackling climate change and its impacts on health" in Victoria, Australia. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1142. [PMID: 37875934 PMCID: PMC10594743 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10087-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Local government plays an important role in addressing complex public health challenges. While the use of research in this work is important, it is often poorly understood. This study aimed to build knowledge about how research is used by investigating its use by local government authorities (LGAs) in Victoria, Australia in responding to a new legislative requirement to prioritise climate and health in public health planning. The role of collaboration was also explored. METHODS Informed by Normalization Process Theory (NPT), this study adopted multiple research methods, combining data from an online survey and face-to-face interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics; thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. RESULTS Participants comprised 15 interviewees, and 46 survey respondents from 40 different LGAs. Research was most commonly accessed via evidence synthesis, and largely used to inform understanding about climate and health. When and how research was used was shaped by contextual factors including legislation, community values and practical limitations of how research needed to be communicated to decision-makers. Collaboration was more commonly associated with research access than use. CONCLUSIONS Greater investment in the production and dissemination of localised research, that identifies local issues (e.g. climate risk factors) and is tailored to the communication needs of local audiences is needed to foster more impactful research use in local public health policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Dam
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, 8 Scenic Boulevard, Clayton Campus, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
| | - Annemarie Wright
- Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria, Australia
| | - Joannette J Annette Bos
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, 8 Scenic Boulevard, Clayton Campus, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Peter Bragge
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, 8 Scenic Boulevard, Clayton Campus, Victoria, 3800, Australia
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13
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Heenan M, Rychetnik L, Howse E, Beggs PJ, Weeramanthri TS, Armstrong F, Zhang Y. Australia's political engagement on health and climate change: the MJA-Lancet Countdown indicator and implications for the future. Med J Aust 2023; 218:196-202. [PMID: 36871205 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maddie Heenan
- Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, Sax Institute, Sydney, NSW
- The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, NSW
| | - Lucie Rychetnik
- Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, Sax Institute, Sydney, NSW
- University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
| | - Elly Howse
- Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, Sax Institute, Sydney, NSW
| | | | - Tarun S Weeramanthri
- Public Health Association of Australia, Canberra, ACT
- University of Western Australia, Perth, WA
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14
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Poon EKW, Kitsios V, Pilcher D, Bellomo R, Raman J. Projecting Future Climate Impact on National Australian Respiratory-Related Intensive Care Unit Demand. Heart Lung Circ 2023; 32:95-104. [PMID: 36604222 DOI: 10.1016/j.hlc.2022.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS A robust climate-health projection model has the potential to improve health care resource allocation. We aim to explore the relationship between Australian intensive care unit (ICU) demand and various measures of the long-lived large-scale climate and to develop a future nationwide climate-health projection model. METHODS We investigated patients admitted to ICUs in Australia between January 2003 and December 2019 who were exposed to long-lived large-scale combined climatic measures of temperature and humidity. We analysed the projected demand for respiratory-related ICU average length of stay (in days) per capita (ICUD/C) with four historical and one future projection dataset. These datasets included: i) Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society adult patient database, ii) Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center gridded global historical population, iii) Australian Bureau of Statistics national historical population, iv) Japanese 55-year Reanalysis historical climate (JRA55), and v) the fifth Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project future climate projections. RESULTS 148,638 patients with respiratory issues required intensive care between 2003 and 2019. The annual growth in the population density-weighted wet-bulb-globe temperature-a combined measure of temperature and humidity-is strongly correlated with the annual per capita growth ICUD/C for respiratory-related conditions (r=0.771; p<0.001). This relationship was applied to develop a model projecting future respiratory-related ICU demand with three possible future Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP). RCP2.6 (lowest carbon emission climate scenario) showed only a 33.4% increase in Australian ICUD/C demand by 2090, while the RCP8.5 (highest carbon emission climate scenario) demonstrated almost two-fold higher demand (66.1%) than RCP2.6 by 2090. CONCLUSIONS The annual growth in population density-weighted wet-bulb-globe temperature correlates with the annual growth in Australian ICUD/C for respiratory-related conditions. A model based on possible future climate scenarios can be developed to predict changes in ICU demand in response to CO2 changes over the coming decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric K W Poon
- Department of Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.
| | - Vassili Kitsios
- CSIRO, Oceans & Atmosphere, Melbourne, Vic, Australia; Laboratory for Turbulence Research in Aerospace and Combustion, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - David Pilcher
- Department of Intensive Care, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic, Australia; The Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) Centre for Outcome and Resources Evaluation, Melbourne, Vic, Australia; The Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Rinaldo Bellomo
- The Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia; Department of Critical Care, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Jai Raman
- Austin Hospital Clinical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia; Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia; Deakin University, Geelong & Melbourne, Vic, Australia; James Cook University, Townsville & Cairns, Qld, Australia; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
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15
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Magdy JS, Adikari DH, Gray RC, Alexopoulos C, Jepson NS. Fire and Flood: The Cardiovascular Impact of Natural Disasters-A Regional New South Wales Experience. Heart Lung Circ 2023; 32:8-10. [PMID: 35430121 DOI: 10.1016/j.hlc.2022.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S Magdy
- Cardiology Department, Port Macquarie Base Hospital, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia; Cardiology Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Dona H Adikari
- Cardiology Department, Port Macquarie Base Hospital, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia; Cardiology Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rhys C Gray
- Cardiology Department, Port Macquarie Base Hospital, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia; Cardiology Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christopher Alexopoulos
- Cardiology Department, Port Macquarie Base Hospital, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia; The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nigel S Jepson
- Cardiology Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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16
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Romanello M, Di Napoli C, Drummond P, Green C, Kennard H, Lampard P, Scamman D, Arnell N, Ayeb-Karlsson S, Ford LB, Belesova K, Bowen K, Cai W, Callaghan M, Campbell-Lendrum D, Chambers J, van Daalen KR, Dalin C, Dasandi N, Dasgupta S, Davies M, Dominguez-Salas P, Dubrow R, Ebi KL, Eckelman M, Ekins P, Escobar LE, Georgeson L, Graham H, Gunther SH, Hamilton I, Hang Y, Hänninen R, Hartinger S, He K, Hess JJ, Hsu SC, Jankin S, Jamart L, Jay O, Kelman I, Kiesewetter G, Kinney P, Kjellstrom T, Kniveton D, Lee JKW, Lemke B, Liu Y, Liu Z, Lott M, Batista ML, Lowe R, MacGuire F, Sewe MO, Martinez-Urtaza J, Maslin M, McAllister L, McGushin A, McMichael C, Mi Z, Milner J, Minor K, Minx JC, Mohajeri N, Moradi-Lakeh M, Morrissey K, Munzert S, Murray KA, Neville T, Nilsson M, Obradovich N, O'Hare MB, Oreszczyn T, Otto M, Owfi F, Pearman O, Rabbaniha M, Robinson EJZ, Rocklöv J, Salas RN, Semenza JC, Sherman JD, Shi L, Shumake-Guillemot J, Silbert G, Sofiev M, Springmann M, Stowell J, Tabatabaei M, Taylor J, Triñanes J, Wagner F, Wilkinson P, Winning M, Yglesias-González M, Zhang S, Gong P, Montgomery H, Costello A. The 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: health at the mercy of fossil fuels. Lancet 2022; 400:1619-1654. [PMID: 36306815 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(22)01540-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 327] [Impact Index Per Article: 163.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Romanello
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Claudia Di Napoli
- School of Agriculture Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Paul Drummond
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Carole Green
- Department of Global Health, Centre for Health and the Global Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Harry Kennard
- UCL Energy Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Pete Lampard
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
| | - Daniel Scamman
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nigel Arnell
- Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson
- Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Kristine Belesova
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kathryn Bowen
- School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Wenjia Cai
- Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Max Callaghan
- Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Berlin, Germany
| | - Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum
- Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Chambers
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Kim R van Daalen
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carole Dalin
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Niheer Dasandi
- School of Government, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Shouro Dasgupta
- Economic Analysis of Climate Impacts and Policy Division, Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Venice, Italy
| | - Michael Davies
- Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Robert Dubrow
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kristie L Ebi
- Department of Global Health, Centre for Health and the Global Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matthew Eckelman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul Ekins
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Luis E Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | | | - Hilary Graham
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
| | - Samuel H Gunther
- NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ian Hamilton
- UCL Energy Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Yun Hang
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Stella Hartinger
- Facultad de Salud Publica y Administracion, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Kehan He
- Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jeremy J Hess
- Department of Global Health, Centre for Health and the Global Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Shih-Che Hsu
- UCL Energy Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Slava Jankin
- Data Science Lab, Hertie School, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Ollie Jay
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Ilan Kelman
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Patrick Kinney
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tord Kjellstrom
- Health and Environmental International Trust, Nelson, New Zealand
| | | | - Jason K W Lee
- NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bruno Lemke
- School of Health, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Nelson, New Zealand
| | - Yang Liu
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Zhao Liu
- Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Melissa Lott
- Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases Programme, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Martin Lotto Batista
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Centro Nacional de Supercomputacion, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rachel Lowe
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies and Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Frances MacGuire
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maquins Odhiambo Sewe
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Sustainable Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Mark Maslin
- Department of Geography, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lucy McAllister
- Center for Energy Markets, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alice McGushin
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Celia McMichael
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Zhifu Mi
- Barlett School of Sustainable Construction, University of London, London, UK
| | - James Milner
- Department of Public Health, Environment, and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kelton Minor
- Copenhagen Center for Social Data Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jan C Minx
- Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nahid Mohajeri
- Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maziar Moradi-Lakeh
- Preventative Medicine and Public Health Research Centre, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Karyn Morrissey
- Department of Technology, Management and Economics Sustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Kris A Murray
- MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Tara Neville
- Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maria Nilsson
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nick Obradovich
- Centre for Humans and Machines, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Megan B O'Hare
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tadj Oreszczyn
- UCL Energy Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matthias Otto
- Department of Arts, Media, and Digital Technologies, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Nelson, New Zealand
| | - Fereidoon Owfi
- Iranian Fisheries Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organisation, Tehran, Iran
| | - Olivia Pearman
- Cooperative Institute of Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Mahnaz Rabbaniha
- Iranian Fisheries Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organisation, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elizabeth J Z Robinson
- Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
| | - Joacim Rocklöv
- Heidelberg Institute for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Centre forScientific Computing, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Renee N Salas
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jan C Semenza
- Heidelberg Institute for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Centre forScientific Computing, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jodi D Sherman
- Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Liuhua Shi
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Grant Silbert
- Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Marco Springmann
- Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jennifer Stowell
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Meisam Tabatabaei
- Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Jonathon Taylor
- Department of Civil Engineering, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Joaquin Triñanes
- Department of Electronics and Computer Science, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago, Spain
| | - Fabian Wagner
- Energy, Climate, and Environment Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Paul Wilkinson
- Department of Public Health, Environment, and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Matthew Winning
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Marisol Yglesias-González
- Centro Latinoamericano de Excelencia en Cambio Climático y Salud, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Shihui Zhang
- Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Gong
- Department of Geography, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Hugh Montgomery
- Centre for Human Health and Performance, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anthony Costello
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
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17
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van Daalen KR, Romanello M, Rocklöv J, Semenza JC, Tonne C, Markandya A, Dasandi N, Jankin S, Achebak H, Ballester J, Bechara H, Callaghan MW, Chambers J, Dasgupta S, Drummond P, Farooq Z, Gasparyan O, Gonzalez-Reviriego N, Hamilton I, Hänninen R, Kazmierczak A, Kendrovski V, Kennard H, Kiesewetter G, Lloyd SJ, Lotto Batista M, Martinez-Urtaza J, Milà C, Minx JC, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Palamarchuk J, Quijal-Zamorano M, Robinson EJZ, Scamman D, Schmoll O, Sewe MO, Sjödin H, Sofiev M, Solaraju-Murali B, Springmann M, Triñanes J, Anto JM, Nilsson M, Lowe R. The 2022 Europe report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: towards a climate resilient future. Lancet Public Health 2022; 7:e942-e965. [PMID: 36306805 PMCID: PMC9597587 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-2667(22)00197-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kim R van Daalen
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK; Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marina Romanello
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Joacim Rocklöv
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jan C Semenza
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cathryn Tonne
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Niheer Dasandi
- School of Government, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Slava Jankin
- Data Science Lab, Hertie School, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hicham Achebak
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Ballester
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Max W Callaghan
- Priestley International Centre for Climate, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan Chambers
- Energy Efficiency Group, Institute for Environmental Sciences (ISE), University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Shouro Dasgupta
- Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC), Venice, Italy; Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE), UK
| | - Paul Drummond
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Zia Farooq
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | | | - Ian Hamilton
- Energy Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Risto Hänninen
- Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Vladimir Kendrovski
- European Centre for Environment and Health, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Bonn, Germany
| | - Harry Kennard
- Energy Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gregor Kiesewetter
- Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases Programme, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Simon J Lloyd
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martin Lotto Batista
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain; Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Department of Epidemiology, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Jaime Martinez-Urtaza
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Milà
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jan C Minx
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Marcos Quijal-Zamorano
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elizabeth J Z Robinson
- Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE), UK
| | - Daniel Scamman
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Oliver Schmoll
- European Centre for Environment and Health, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Henrik Sjödin
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Mikhail Sofiev
- Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Marco Springmann
- Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food and Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Joaquin Triñanes
- Department of Electronics and Computer Science, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago, Spain
| | - Josep M Anto
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Nilsson
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Rachel Lowe
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain; Centre for Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
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18
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Beggs PJ, Zhang Y, McGushin A, Trueck S, Linnenluecke MK, Bambrick H, Capon AG, Vardoulakis S, Green D, Malik A, Jay O, Heenan M, Hanigan IC, Friel S, Stevenson M, Johnston FH, McMichael C, Charlson F, Woodward AJ, Romanello MB. The 2022 report of the
MJA
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Lancet
Countdown on health and climate change: Australia unprepared and paying the price. Med J Aust 2022; 217:439-458. [DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Hilary Bambrick
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Australian National University Canberra ACT
| | - Anthony G Capon
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute Monash University Melbourne VIC
| | - Sotiris Vardoulakis
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Australian National University Canberra ACT
| | - Donna Green
- Climate Change Research Centre and ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, UNSW Sydney NSW
| | | | | | - Maddie Heenan
- Australian Prevention Partnership Centre Sax Institute Sydney NSW
| | | | | | - Mark Stevenson
- Transport, Health and Urban Design (THUD) Research Lab University of Melbourne Melbourne VIC
| | - Fay H Johnston
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research University of Tasmania Hobart TAS
| | | | - Fiona Charlson
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research University of Queensland Brisbane QLD
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19
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Adnan MSG, Dewan A, Botje D, Shahid S, Hassan QK. Vulnerability of Australia to heatwaves: A systematic review on influencing factors, impacts, and mitigation options. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 213:113703. [PMID: 35716815 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heatwaves have received major attention globally due to their detrimental effects on human health and the environment. The frequency, duration, and severity of heatwaves have increased recently due to changes in climatic conditions, anthropogenic forcing, and rapid urbanization. Australia is highly vulnerable to this hazard. Although there have been an increasing number of studies conducted in Australia related to the heatwave phenomena, a systematic review of heatwave vulnerability has rarely been reported in the literature. OBJECTIVES This study aims to provide a systematic and overarching review of the different components of heatwave vulnerability (e.g., exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity) in Australia. METHODS A systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA protocol. Peer-reviewed English language articles published between January 2000 and December 2021 were selected using a combination of search keywords in Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. Articles were critically analyzed based on three specific heatwave vulnerability components: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A total of 107 articles meeting all search criteria were chosen. Although there has been an increasing trend of heat-related studies in Australia, most of these studies have concentrated on exposure and adaptive capacity components. Evidence suggests that the frequency, severity, and duration of heatwaves in Australian cities has been increasing, and that this is likely to continue under current climate change scenarios. This study noted that heatwave vulnerability is associated with geographical and climatic factors, space, time, socioeconomic and demographic factors, as well as the physiological condition of people. Various heat mitigation and adaptation measures implemented around the globe have proven to be efficient in reducing the impacts of heatwaves. CONCLUSION This study provides increased clarity regarding the various drivers of heatwave vulnerability in Australia. Such knowledge is crucial in informing extreme heat adaptation and mitigation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Sarfaraz Gani Adnan
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Chittagong, 4319, Bangladesh; Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, OX1 3QY, United Kingdom.
| | - Ashraf Dewan
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Dirk Botje
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Shamsuddin Shahid
- Department of Hydraulics & Hydrology, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Quazi K Hassan
- Department of Geomatics Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
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20
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Wild K, Tapley A, Fielding A, Holliday E, Ball J, Horton G, Blashki G, Davey A, van Driel M, Turner A, FitzGerald K, Spike N, Magin P. Climate change and Australian general practice vocational education: a cross-sectional study. Fam Pract 2022; 40:435-441. [PMID: 35616123 DOI: 10.1093/fampra/cmac053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change is a rapidly progressing threat to global health and well-being. For general practitioners (GPs) currently in training, the effects of climate change on public health will shape their future professional practice We aimed to establish the prevalence and associations of Australian GP registrars' (trainees') perceptions of climate change as it relates to public health, education, and workplaces. METHODS A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of GP registrars of three Australian training organizations. The questionnaire assessed attitudes regarding adverse health effects of climate change (over the next 10-20 years), and agreement with statements on (i) integrating health impacts of climate change into GP vocational training, and (ii) GPs' role in making general practices environmentally sustainable. RESULTS Of 879 registrars who participated (response rate 91%), 50.4% (95% CI 46.8%, 54.0%) perceived a large or very large future health effect of climate change on their patients, and 61.8% (95% CI 58.6%, 65.0%) agreed that climate health impacts should be integrated within their education programme. 77.8% (95% CI 74.9%, 80.4%) agreed that GPs should have a leadership role in their practices' environmental sustainability. Multivariable associations of these attitudes included female gender, training region, and (for the latter two outcomes) perceptions of future impact of climate change on patient health. CONCLUSIONS GP registrars are motivated to receive climate health education and engage in environmentally sustainable practice. This may primarily reflect concern for future practice and patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Wild
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Amanda Tapley
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia.,NSW & ACT Research and Evaluation Unit, GP Synergy Regional Training Organisation (RTO), 20 McIntosh Drive, Mayfield West, NSW 2304, Australia
| | - Alison Fielding
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia.,NSW & ACT Research and Evaluation Unit, GP Synergy Regional Training Organisation (RTO), 20 McIntosh Drive, Mayfield West, NSW 2304, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Holliday
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Jean Ball
- Clinical Research Design and Statistical Support Unit (CReDITSS), John Hunter Hospital, Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia
| | - Graeme Horton
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Grant Blashki
- Nossal Institute and the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Andrew Davey
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia.,NSW & ACT Research and Evaluation Unit, GP Synergy Regional Training Organisation (RTO), 20 McIntosh Drive, Mayfield West, NSW 2304, Australia
| | - Mieke van Driel
- General Practice Clinical Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, University of Queensland, Level 8, Health Sciences Building, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia
| | - Alexandria Turner
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia.,NSW & ACT Research and Evaluation Unit, GP Synergy Regional Training Organisation (RTO), 20 McIntosh Drive, Mayfield West, NSW 2304, Australia
| | - Kristen FitzGerald
- General Practice Training Tasmania Regional Training Organisation, Level 3, RACT House, 179 Murray Street, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia.,Tasmanian School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Level 1, Medical Science 1, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia
| | - Neil Spike
- Eastern Victoria General Practice Training Regional Training Organisation, 15 Cato Street, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.,Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Melbourne, 200 Berkeley Street Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, School of Rural Health, Monash University, Northways Road, Churchill, VIC 3842, Australia
| | - Parker Magin
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia.,NSW & ACT Research and Evaluation Unit, GP Synergy Regional Training Organisation (RTO), 20 McIntosh Drive, Mayfield West, NSW 2304, Australia
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21
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Cobbold AT, Crane MA, Knibbs LD, Hanigan IC, Greaves SP, Rissel CE. Perceptions of air quality and concern for health in relation to long-term air pollution exposure, bushfires, and COVID-19 lockdown: A before-and-after study. THE JOURNAL OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH 2022; 6:100137. [PMID: 35469247 PMCID: PMC9022397 DOI: 10.1016/j.joclim.2022.100137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution is a major health burden and the leading environmental risk factor for non-communicable diseases worldwide. People's perceptions and concerns about air pollution are important as they may predict protective behaviour or support for climate change mitigation policies. METHODS This repeat cross-sectional study uses survey data collected from participants in Sydney, Australia in September-November 2019 (n = 1,647) and October-December 2020 (n = 1,458), before and after the devastating 2019/2020 bushfires and first COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in Sydney in 2020. Participants' perceptions of air quality and concerns for health in relation to air quality were modeled against estimates of annual average NO2 and PM2.5 concentrations in their neighbourhood. RESULTS Participants in suburbs with higher estimated air pollution concentrations generally perceived poorer air quality and were more concerned for health in relation to air quality. A 5 µg/m3 increase in NO2 was associated with perceived poorer air quality (OR 1.32, 95%CI 1.18-1.47). A 1 µg/m3 increase in estimated PM2.5 was associated with perceived poorer air quality (OR 1.37, 95%CI 1.24-1.52) and greater concern for health (OR 1.18, 95%CI 1.05-1.32). Air quality was perceived as better in 2020 than in 2019 in both NO2 and PM2.5 models (p<0.001). Air quality concern increased in 2020 in both models. DISCUSSION This study provides the first Australian data on the association between estimated air quality exposure and air quality perceptions and concerns, contributing new evidence to inform public health approaches that increase awareness for air pollution and reduce the health burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec T Cobbold
- Sydney School of Public Health, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Melanie A Crane
- Sydney School of Public Health, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Luke D Knibbs
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Public Health Unit, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Ivan C Hanigan
- University Centre for Rural Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Centre for Air Pollution, Energy and Health Research (CAR), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Stephen P Greaves
- Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, The University of Sydney Business School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Chris E Rissel
- Sydney School of Public Health, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Royal Darwin Hospital, Tiwi, NT 0810, Australia
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22
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Madden DL, Horton GL, McLean M. Preparing Australasian medical students for environmentally sustainable health care. Med J Aust 2022; 216:225-229. [PMID: 35231957 PMCID: PMC9310703 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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23
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Integrated Climate Action Planning (ICLAP) in Asia-Pacific Cities: Analytical Modelling for Collaborative Decision Making. ATMOSPHERE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13020247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
While climate change has global causations and impacts, there is growing consensus on addressing the 2 °C challenge through local actions. However, at the local level, there is disintegrated knowledge on the following: (a) short-, mid- and long-term climate vulnerability, (b) economy and GHG structures and their future pathways, and (c) useful mitigation and adaptation undertaken elsewhere. We evaluate these gaps through a comprehensive review of scientific literature and policy approaches of urban-climate studies in the Asia-Pacific Region. Based on the research findings, we develop a collaborative research framework of an integrated climate action planning (ICLAP) model for evidence-based decision-making tool. It adopts an innovative methodology integrating knowledge and data from diverse analytics, as follows: (a) spatial: downscaling global/regional climate scenarios to forecast local climate variability (50 km × 50 km) for 2030 (SDG target) and 2050; (b) statistical: a meta-analysis of 49 five-million-plus cities to forecast economic, energy and GHG scenarios; (c) bibliometric: a systematic review of global urban climate interventions from Google Scholar that collectively aid cities on policy inputs for mid-term climate variability, GHG profiles and available solutions at their disposal. We conclude with a discussion on scientific and policy relevance of such a tool in fostering overall urban, regional and global sustainability.
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24
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Owens K. Breakthrough climate litigation positions courts to combat the health impacts of climate change. Med J Aust 2021; 215:395-397. [PMID: 34657282 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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25
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Montgomery H, Hughes F. Who cares about climate? Med J Aust 2021; 215:410-411. [PMID: 34719026 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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26
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Barratt AL, Bell KJ, Charlesworth K, McGain F. High value health care is low carbon health care. Med J Aust 2021; 216:67-68. [PMID: 34699070 PMCID: PMC9299213 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Forbes McGain
- Western Health, Melbourne, VIC.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
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