Developing health related indicators of climate change incorporating vulnerability in Australia

Abstract

Introduction: The health impacts of climate change are receiving increasing attention. Consequently, there is a growing need to develop health related indicators to monitor trends in health outcomes over time, assess human health vulnerability to climate change and assist in public health adaptation strategies. Climate-related health impacts focus on the interaction between climate-related hazards and the exposure and vulnerability of humans. Therefore understanding the vulnerability of a population is required. This study investigates the potential use and validity of evidence- based health indicators of climate change and their use in identifying vulnerable populations in Australia. Methods: A review of Australian literature relevant to climate change health impacts was conducted incorporating the Driving force-Pressure–State-Exposure-Effect-Action framework specific to the development of environmental health indicators. The framework was modified to include a vulnerability component. Results: Indicators need to be relevant and meaningful summary of the conditions of interest, be sensitive to changes in the conditions, and be amenable to adaptive actions. To focus on the development of environmental health indicators the literature on the adverse health outcomes was categorised into three groups: heat-health outcomes, air pollution health outcomes, and climate-sensitive infectious diseases. Heat vulnerability was the main focus of climate change vulnerability studies in Australia. Risk factors that increase vulnerability to heat have shown to be older age, living alone, low socioeconomic status and having existing chronic diseases. Conclusions: The identification of environmental health indicators of climate change is important for policymakers and climate change adaptation strategies. The results suggest that at present the most robust environmental health indicators of climate change in the Australian context relate to heat-related morbidities and mortalities.