National Strategy for Climate and Health. The health of people in Australia and around the world is affected by climate change. The international medical journal The Lancet has described climate change as the biggest threat to global public health this century. But what is Australia’s response to the risks to health from climate change? Surely a wealthy developed country such as Australia should have a national strategy to respond to this serious risk? There are many benefits to health, as well as climate benefits, from cutting emissions. But there is currently no national strategy to address the impacts on health. Let’s get a National Strategy on Climate and Health in Australia! Please send a letter to your representatives in the federal parliament and ask them to commit to the development of a national strategy on climate and health.
Will you join us and send an email to your local MP and Senators now?
To create a National Strategy for Climate, Health and Wellbeing, CAHA is seeking:
• The development of national strategy to outline Australia’s response to the health risks from climate change and the carbon intensive national economy
• Development of strategies to improve the preparedness and ability of the healthcare sector to respond to climate threats to health, including from extreme weather events.
• Establishment of a national sustainable healthcare unit in the Department of Health and Ageing to drive change towards low carbon operations in the health sector
• The nomination of or establishment of a national agency with responsibility for developing and coordinating policy and research consistent with the National Strategy for Climate, Health and Wellbeing
For its functions to include:
• evaluation and reporting on risks to health from climate change and on health benefits from reducing emissions
• development and monitoring of health impact assessment processes to evaluate the health impacts of policies, plans and projects across ectors, in particular in relation to energy and transport infrastructure projects
• implementation of an evidence-based climate and health-in-all-policies approach to all policy developmentthe development and delivery of educational campaigns to inform the community on links between climate change, emissions and health and
• wellbeing.