Climate Change and Public Climate Change and Public HealthHealth

Mr. Jim DoddsMr. Jim Dodds

Director Environmental HealthDirector Environmental Health

Health Protection GroupHealth Protection Group

Issues of concern for Public Issues of concern for Public HealthHealth

• Extreme Weather EventsExtreme Weather Events

• Heat stress/ heat related illnessHeat stress/ heat related illness

• Insect vectorsInsect vectors

• Food borne diseaseFood borne disease

• Water borne impactsWater borne impacts

• Exposure to solar radiationExposure to solar radiation

• Respiratory disease.Respiratory disease.

What is good?What is good?

• Vector borne diseaseVector borne disease

• Food borne diseaseFood borne disease

• Extreme events Cyclone and FloodExtreme events Cyclone and Flood

Insect vectorsInsect vectors

• Long term statewide surveillance Long term statewide surveillance system.system.

• Applied knowledge and projects.Applied knowledge and projects.• Good research capacity in DoH and Good research capacity in DoH and

universities.universities.• ExamplesExamples

– Tennant CreekTennant Creek– Torres StraightTorres Straight– Ross RiverRoss River

Food borne diseaseFood borne disease

• Statewide food surveillance (particularly Statewide food surveillance (particularly meat).meat).

• Statewide disease surveillance. Statewide disease surveillance. • Already dealing with some of the issues Already dealing with some of the issues

(transport north).(transport north).• Australia is moving to HACCP approach for Australia is moving to HACCP approach for

whole chainwhole chain• ExamplesExamples

– Monitoring of product at times of yearMonitoring of product at times of year– Disease surveillance is capable of picking up trendsDisease surveillance is capable of picking up trends

Extreme Weather EventsExtreme Weather Events

• EventEvent– Cyclone, flood.Cyclone, flood.

• Preparedness/planningPreparedness/planning– Good for flood and cyclone, Good for flood and cyclone, – State level and Local level plansState level and Local level plans– Training State and localTraining State and local

What's well positioned?What's well positioned?

• Water borne disease Water borne disease

• Solar radiationSolar radiation

• Respiratory diseaseRespiratory disease

Water borne impactsWater borne impacts

• Satewide surveillance of supplies Satewide surveillance of supplies that is improvingthat is improving– Knowledge of performance and trendsKnowledge of performance and trends

• Already reviewing impacts and fate Already reviewing impacts and fate of pesticidesof pesticides– Management and legislative responsesManagement and legislative responses

• Strong focus from public healthStrong focus from public health– Resources and participation; e.g. MARResources and participation; e.g. MAR

Exposure to solar radiationExposure to solar radiation

• Already an interestAlready an interest

• Understand the exposuresUnderstand the exposures

• Monitoring of the indicators occursMonitoring of the indicators occurs

• Warning systems to the public Warning systems to the public developeddeveloped

• Behaviour Change already happeningBehaviour Change already happening

• Research is recommending structural Research is recommending structural changes.changes.

Respiratory disease.Respiratory disease.

• New CRC based in Perth and Sydney!New CRC based in Perth and Sydney!

GapsGaps

• Heat stressHeat stress

• Extreme heat eventsExtreme heat events

Heat stress/ related illnessHeat stress/ related illness

• EventEvent– Heat wavesHeat waves

• Preparedness/planningPreparedness/planning– Varied, no strategy for public healthVaried, no strategy for public health

Vulnerable populationsVulnerable populations

• Aboriginal populations Aboriginal populations – WaterWater– Food borne diseaseFood borne disease

• The agedThe aged– Heat stress (France)Heat stress (France)

OpportunitiesOpportunities

• Health Protection GroupHealth Protection Group– Planning and researchPlanning and research– Disaster preparednessDisaster preparedness– Training and supportTraining and support

• Local Health Plans (not Disaster Plans)Local Health Plans (not Disaster Plans)– Local risksLocal risks– SupportSupport– AuditsAudits

• Aboriginal Environmental HealthAboriginal Environmental Health• Resilience of Environmental/Public HealthResilience of Environmental/Public Health• New Public Health ActNew Public Health Act