Advancing Australia's role in climate change and health research

Abstract

Australia allocates less than 0.1% of health funding to research on health and climate change. This Perspective highlights the country's strength in the individual disciplines of climate science and health research and calls for bringing these areas together. A major Australian government report published 25 years ago called for urgent investment in research on the impacts of climate change on human health. Since that report's release, less than 0.1% of Australian health funding has been allocated to this area. As the world continues on a high emissions pathway, the health impacts from climate change are increasing in size and complexity. While Australia has established leadership roles in climate science and health research, it must now link these two strengths. Doing so would boost regional understanding of how climate change will affect health and what adaptation strategies are needed to reduce these threats. Such research would support better health planning and decision-making in partnership with other regional countries.