Dr Austen Anderson1
1Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia
2Perth Dermatology Clinic and Day Hospital, Perth, Australia
Climate Change has been declared the ‘biggest global health threat of the 21st Century’ (Lancet 2009). As the earth warms, the impact on the global burden of disease will continue to increase due to the co-dependence of ecological systems and human health. The incidence and distribution of infectious diseases are already being impacted by a changing climate. Healthcare practitioners and organisations contribute to Climate Change, through carbon intensive practices and the use of resources to deliver healthcare. To uphold the critical healthcare principle of ‘first do no harm’, action to reduce the carbon emissions and the environmental impact of our practice is critical.
Whilst Climate Change is an existential threat for humankind and all ecological systems, Climate Change can also be seen as the opportunity of a generation; to create a healthier population and deliver more sustainable healthcare. Significant co-benefits that can derive from action on Climate Change in healthcare include improved health outcomes, financial savings and boosted staff morale.
Some examples of the impact of Climate Change on the presentation of infectious diseases will be discussed. The importance of health practitioners acting to reduce their organisation’s carbon footprint will be outlined, using examples introduced at Perth Dermatology Clinic and Day Hospital.
Biography: Dr Austen Anderson is a Dermatologist practicing at Royal Perth Hospital and Perth Dermatology Clinic & Day Hospital, in Western Australia. She is a member of the Australasian College of Dermatologist’s Environmental and Sustainability Group, and is immediate past Chair of the WA Faculty of the Australasian College of Dermatologists. She is completing a Graduate Certificate in Environment and Health at the University of Western Australia as a component of work towards a Masters in Public Health.