Climate Change and Public Health Mr. Jim Dodds Director Environmental Health Health Protection Group

Issues of concern for Public Health Extreme Weather Events Extreme Weather Events Heat stress/ heat related illness Heat stress/ heat related illness Insect vectors Insect vectors Food borne disease Food borne disease Water borne impacts Water borne impacts Exposure to solar radiation Exposure to solar radiation Respiratory disease. Respiratory disease.

What is good? Vector borne disease Vector borne disease Food borne disease Food borne disease Extreme events Cyclone and Flood Extreme events Cyclone and Flood

Insect vectors Long term statewide surveillance system. Long term statewide surveillance system. Applied knowledge and projects. Applied knowledge and projects. Good research capacity in DoH and universities. Good research capacity in DoH and universities. Examples Examples –Tennant Creek –Torres Straight –Ross River

Food borne disease Statewide food surveillance (particularly meat). Statewide food surveillance (particularly meat). Statewide disease surveillance. Statewide disease surveillance. Already dealing with some of the issues (transport north). Already dealing with some of the issues (transport north). Australia is moving to HACCP approach for whole chain Australia is moving to HACCP approach for whole chain Examples Examples –Monitoring of product at times of year –Disease surveillance is capable of picking up trends

Extreme Weather Events Event Event –Cyclone, flood. Preparedness/planning Preparedness/planning –Good for flood and cyclone, –State level and Local level plans –Training State and local

What's well positioned? Water borne disease Water borne disease Solar radiation Solar radiation Respiratory disease Respiratory disease

Water borne impacts Satewide surveillance of supplies that is improving Satewide surveillance of supplies that is improving –Knowledge of performance and trends Already reviewing impacts and fate of pesticides Already reviewing impacts and fate of pesticides –Management and legislative responses Strong focus from public health Strong focus from public health –Resources and participation; e.g. MAR

Exposure to solar radiation Already an interest Already an interest Understand the exposures Understand the exposures Monitoring of the indicators occurs Monitoring of the indicators occurs Warning systems to the public developed Warning systems to the public developed Behaviour Change already happening Behaviour Change already happening Research is recommending structural changes. Research is recommending structural changes.

Respiratory disease. New CRC based in Perth and Sydney! New CRC based in Perth and Sydney!

Gaps Heat stress Heat stress Extreme heat events Extreme heat events

Heat stress/ related illness Event Event –Heat waves Preparedness/planning Preparedness/planning –Varied, no strategy for public health

Vulnerable populations Aboriginal populations Aboriginal populations –Water –Food borne disease The aged The aged –Heat stress (France)

Opportunities Health Protection Group Health Protection Group –Planning and research –Disaster preparedness –Training and support Local Health Plans (not Disaster Plans) Local Health Plans (not Disaster Plans) –Local risks –Support –Audits Aboriginal Environmental Health Aboriginal Environmental Health Resilience of Environmental/Public Health Resilience of Environmental/Public Health New Public Health Act New Public Health Act