Australian Health Review 45(1) 1-1 https://doi.org/10.1071/AHv45n1_ED1
Published: 3 February 2021
This editorial discusses the release of WA Government's Final Report of the Climate Health WA Inquiry.
The final report was released at the end on 2020 and presents not only a comprehensive review of the effects of climate change on health, but the inadequacies of the health sectors actions on sustainability and recommendations on future actions to address health impacts.
The full report is available here.
"First, the WA inquiry presents a truly regional picture of both climate change and its health impacts. This helps complement the global and national picture and describes, using local examples, why climate change is a health threat to Western Australians, right here and right now. This regional view has been a missing piece of the policy jigsaw.
Second, the report calls out the ‘lost decade’ for action from 2010–2020, and the gap between health system advocacy to others and the sector’s own actions as a substantial source of emissions (7% overall estimate) in Australia. The uncomfortable truth is that the health system has done little so far to reduce its overall emissions and waste. It is in the race now, but close to the starting line and only moving slowly in fits and starts. To use Aesop’s analogy, the health sector is certainly not the tortoise, because it is not making ‘slow and steady’ progress, and if it is the hare, it has just woken up and needs to get running!"
Supporting documents including submissions to the inquiry are available at https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/Improving-WA-Health/Climate-health-inquiry.
The richest stories are to be found in the public forum and workshop reports, 158 written submissions and 34 transcripts of the formal hearings conducted with a range of WA and national organisations. When searching for ideas about what to do to reduce emissions or waste, whether you are a health professional or manager in paediatrics, public health, pathology, primary care or procurement, it is simple to find the sections in the report relevant to your workplace. You can then pick out any number of ideas that your peers have found useful, and your own employer or professional association might agree to support.
The Victorian Government's position on healthcare responses to climate change form part of its Public health and wellbeing plan 2019–2023.
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