Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Minister Ludwig, the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing. Is the minister aware of the predicted impacts climate change will have on Australia’s health system?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Carol Brown for her question. The Rudd government recognises that climate change poses serious consequences for the nation’s health system and that urgent action must be taken to tackle this issue. This week the Director-General of WHO, Dr Margaret Chan, informed the health minister that the health impacts of climate change globally are key priorities for the agency. Recent reports prepared for the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Australian Department of Health and Ageing outline a frightening list of potential health risks.

More frequent and intense weather events, including drought, heatwaves, floods and bushfires, are likely to lead to an increase in deaths and morbidity, particularly for dependent, older Australians. In addition to that, you have the increased incidence of extreme natural disasters such as drought, which could also lead to an increase in mental health problems in regional and remote areas. Rates of infectious and vector-borne diseases, such as Ross River virus and dengue fever, and food- and water-borne diseases will also increase as changing weather conditions provide new environments for vectors and hosts. New populations may be put at risk for these diseases due to geographic changes. Ultimately stresses will be placed on our health system caused by internal migration and social disruption. Water scarcity is likely to go up, and availability of fresh fruit and vegetables may decrease. If we want to alleviate the impacts of climate change on the health of all Australians, the time to take action is now. The government is working actively and constructively with the opposition’s spokesperson on this. (Time expired)

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister explain to the Senate how the effects of climate change will have a worse impact on the health of some regions, socioeconomic groups and demographic groups than others?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Carol Brown for her supplementary question. The World Health Organisation has previously indicated that changes in climate conditions can have three kinds of health impacts: (1) direct impacts, such as heatwaves; (2) health consequences, such as changes to ecosystems and biological processes; and (3) health consequences that occur when populations are disrupted or displaced. Health impacts due to climate change will affect some regions, socioeconomic groups and demographic groups more than others. For example—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a shame those on the other side do not take this seriously. You have older people, who are more susceptible to extremes of temperature, and many rural and remote communities have less capacity than larger settlements to deal with the health impacts of climate change. Any geographic extensions of mosquito-borne infections— (Time expired)

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for his answer. Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate how the Australian government is responding to the health challenges and risks associated with climate change, as described by the World Health Organisation, the Australian Medical Association and Doctors of the Environment?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Carol Brown for her second supplementary question. The government is currently gathering information to better understand the diversity of these health risks, who will be most vulnerable, and the actions governments, individuals and communities can take to mitigate and reduce these risks. The Department of Health and Ageing is working with the health sector to adapt to the challenges posed by climate change. The Australian government cosponsored a major resolution on climate change and health at the World Health Assembly in May 2008. In January this year, the Minister for Climate Change and Water released the government’s national adaptation research plan for human health and climate change. The National Health and Medical Research Council is administering $6 million to support research addressing the health challenges of global climate change. These strategies are among many others— (Time expired)