HUMAN HEALTH AND SOCIAL IMPACTS NODE
Newsletter
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Note from the Node Leader, Associate Professor Geoffrey Morgan
Welcome to the Human Health and Social Impacts (HHSI) Node Newsletter for November 2020. As we wrap up another year of policy-relevant research by HHSI Node researchers, we look forward to presenting a selection of their work at the upcoming Node Research Showcase on December 8th. To hear more about the research we have been doing and the implications for policy, practice and communities, please register for the showcase here.
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Climate change, housing and health
Image by Pranita Shrestha
Congratulations to Dr Christen Cornell, Professor Nicole Gurran and A/Professor Tess Lea on the publication of their Node research report: Climate change, housing, and health: A scoping study on intersections between vulnerability, housing tenure, and adaptation responses to extreme heat.
This research highlights areas of policy development where climate change and long-term stressors of climate change need to be considered in decision making, including topics like planning affordable housing for individuals in communities vulnerable to climate change stressors. Additionally, this research can inform emergency services when reviewing response strategies or heat mitigation strategies.
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Development of environmental health indicators for NSW
Dr Ivan Hannigan and colleagues have developed an environmental health indicator monitoring and evaluation methodology to produce a set of NSW environmental health indicators and associated burden estimates. The report is soon to be published here. Find out more details about this project here.
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Governing the health impacts of climate change in NSW
Dr Kate Owens has recently led research to examine the legislative frameworks for public health, emergency management and environmental protection. In collaboration with key stakeholders, Dr Owens has written a report which:
- Describes the existing legal and governance arrangements of immediate relevance to the governance of climate-change-related health risks, focusing on key points of decision-making under the existing legislative frameworks for public health, emergency management and environmental protection in NSW;
- Assesses whether these legislative frameworks are ‘fit for purpose’ and provide an effective model for governing climate change impacts on health;
- Provides a number of observations to assist in the development of governance arrangements that will strengthen government responses to health impacts of climate change; and
- Provides a research platform to support a broader research agenda that seeks to understand the role of law and governance in securing health and wellbeing in the context of climate change.
Watch out for the report soon to be published here.
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Developing strategies on climate change adaptation, resilience and mitigation for the health system in NSW
Along with partners from NSW Health and NSW DPIE, Ms Georgie Mulcahy and Dr Sinead Boylan conducted a review of existing environmental healthcare sustainability and climate-resilient strategies to advance the sustainability of the NSW Health system. The review presents recommendations and policies which aim to: enhance the environmental sustainability and climate-resilience of health systems through a range of climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience approaches; and to lower the environmental impact of the health system, with co-benefits for human health. Find more details of this project here. Watch out for the report soon to be published here.
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Environmental footprint assessment of the NSW Healthcare system
Dr Arunima Malik and colleagues recently completed research which aimed to provide a quantitative supply-chain assessment of the environmental impacts of the health system in NSW. They integrated a range of environmental indicators, such as greenhouse gas emissions, water use and waste into a cloud-computing platform for constructing a custom-built sub-national multi-regional input-output (MRIO) table for Australia. Find more details of this project here. Watch out for the report soon to be published here.
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Events
Coming very soon! MJA-Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate 2020 Report Online Launch
Thursday 3rd December, 3-4pm AEDT.
Climate change has emerged as a defining public health challenge of the 21st century. Find out how Australia progressed on this challenge in 2019, and what action is still needed to prevent significant risk of decline in human health. How have the Black Summer bushfires affected Australians' health, and what can the COVID-19 pandemic teach us about how we should respond in the years ahead? Hear from health experts, and be involved in our panel discussion.
For release at the event:
- 2020 Report of the MJA-Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change
- Global 2020 Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change
- The Lancet Countdown: 2020 Briefing for Australian Policymakers
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AdaptNSW Webinar Series
Several of our Node researchers presented at this year’s AdaptNSW webinar series.
The AdaptNSW 2020 webinar series was presented by the NSW DPIE and their partners, to showcase the leading work on climate change adaptation being delivered across New South Wales. Mr Jeffrey Standen and Ms Jessica Spencer presented at the webinar on ‘Empowering Aboriginal communities and organisations to adapt to climate change’. Dr Ivan Hannigan, Associate Professor Ollie Jay and Dr Jo Longman presented their Node research at the webinar on ‘Climate change, health and our communities’. Please stay tuned to AdatpNSW for webinar recordings.
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Identifying the health impacts of climate change, adaptation strategies and responses among Aboriginal communities in NSW
An online workshop was held between Node researchers and key agencies with portfolio responsibilities for Aboriginal community service delivery or emergency management to discuss the health impacts from climate change among Aboriginal communities in New South Wales. The participants highlighted recommendations including climate and health adaptation responses, and priorities for future work. Watch out for the workshop reoprt soon to be published here.
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Air conditioner use in NSW: win-wins for health and environment
A/Professor Ollie Jay recently held a workshop to discuss his Node research projecting the impact of convective flow for reducing indoor thermal discomfort, air conditioner use, and electricity consumption during hot weather. The workshop was attended by representatives from research, industry and state and local government. Attendees heard how increased indoor air movement (with devices such as fans) enables a house occupant to increase the thermostat set-point of an AC unit by ~3˚C without sacrificing thermal comfort. This ultimately has the potential to translate into a ~70% reduction in electricity use and associated greenhouse gas emissions from AC use throughout a given year. As a next step, Ollie is seeking to obtain funding to conduct a field study demonstrating how well the findings from this analytical study transfer to a real-world residential living environment. Find more details of this project here.
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Highilghts
Node researcher, Professor Paul Beggs, is co-author of a new publication - Global Climate Change and Pollen Aeroallergens: A Southern Hemisphere Perspective. This review emphasises inconsistencies in pollen monitoring methods and metrics used globally.
WHO Guidance for Climate Resilient and Environmentally Sustainable Health Care Facilities
The aim of this guidance is to enhance the capacity of health care facilities to protect and improve the health of their target communities in an unstable and changing climate; and to empower health care facilities to be environmentally sustainable, by optimizing the use of resources and minimizing the release of waste into the environment. Climate resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities contribute to high quality of care and accessibility of services, and by helping reduce facility costs also ensure better affordability. They are, therefore, an important component of universal health coverage (UHC).
Publications
Anderko L, Chalupka S, Du M, Hauptman M. Climate changes reproductive and children's health: a review of risks, exposures, and impacts. Pediatr Res. 2020;87(2):414-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-019-0654-7
Cianconi P, Betrò S, Janiri L. The Impact of Climate Change on Mental Health: A Systematic Descriptive Review. Front Psychiatry. 2020;11:74. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00074
Gobler CJ. Climate Change and Harmful Algal Blooms: Insights and perspective. Harmful Algae. 2020;91:101731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2019.101731
Hrabok M, Delorme A, Agyapong VIO. Threats to Mental Health and Well-Being Associated with Climate Change. J Anxiety Disord. 2020;76:102295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102295
Joshi M, Goraya H, Joshi A, Bartter T. Climate change and respiratory diseases: a 2020 perspective. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2020;26(2):119-27. https://doi.org/10.1097/mcp.0000000000000656
Kameg BN. Climate Change and Mental Health: Implications for Nurses. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv. 2020;58(9):25-30. https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20200624-05
Leddin D, Macrae F. Climate Change: Implications for Gastrointestinal Health and Disease. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2020;54(5):393-7. https://doi.org/10.1097/mcg.0000000000001336
Ray C, Ming X. Climate Change and Human Health: A Review of Allergies, Autoimmunity and the Microbiome. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134814
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