Ep80: Healthcare in a Volatile Climate

Pomegranate Health

The globe has already warmed by more than one degree Celsius over pre-industrial levels and is on track to exceed two degrees by the end of the century. It doesn’t sound like a lot but this will have profound effects on human health with Australia being particularly vulnerable. Most obviously, Australia’s biggest cities will become furnaces in summer with a more than doubling of heat-related mortality. The rising temperatures will also increase frequency of the climate oscillations that delivered us record-breaking temperatures and bushfires in 2019-2020, followed by historic rains and floods last summer.

In this podcast we discuss the effects of this increasingly volatile climate on the health of Australians, from infectious disease to respiratory and even mental health. Professor Lynne Madden explains how the health system can become more resilient to these demands and what measures the RACP is asking Federal Government to commit to in preparation for this. Find out more about the "Health Climate Future" campaign here.

Guest
Prof Lynne Madden FAPHM (University of Notre Dame)
Production
Written and produced by Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Kauko’ and ‘Ikigai’ by Twelwe. Music courtesy of FreeMusicArchive includes ‘Nothing Else Matters’ by Mystery Mammal, ‘Namaste’ by Jason Shaw.

Please visit the RACP website for a transcript and supporting references. RACP members can claim CPD credits for listening via MyCPD.