| Week One - Introduction to Global Health & Climate Change |
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Dr Jenny Stedmon, Vice Chair of the International Humanitarian Law Board of Red Cross Australia and consultant anaesthetist at Fremantle Hospital. The opening lecture in the GHSC will be give by Dr Jenny Stedmon, Vice Chair of the International Humanitarian Law Board of Red Cross Australia and Consultant Anaesthetist at Fremantle Hospital. In this lecture, Dr Stedmon will give a brief overview of some of the fundamental issues affecting health globally and interventions that are effective in improving health and health care in developing countries.
Mr John Davis, Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy, Murdoch University. Global Health and Climate Change Climate change is a significant issue that has a wide range of implications for human health. There is evidence that climate change is affecting global morbidity and mortality by causing increased rates of malnutrition; increased deaths, diseases and injury due to extreme weather events and natural disasters such as heat waves, floods and droughts; increased burden of diarrhoeal diseases; increased frequency of cardio-respiratory diseases due to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone in urban areas; and increased spread of infectious diseases. The impact of climate change on human health will not be evenly distributed around the world. Densely populated coastal areas, high mountain zones and small island states are most vulnerable. In addition, areas with weak health infrastructure – mostly in developing countries – will be the least able to cope without assistance to prepare and respond. (World Health Organisation) In week one of the GHSC, Mr John Davis from the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy at Murdoch University will address climate change and the impacts of climate change on human health globally. The presentation will also focus on interventions that are effective in reducing the impacts of climate change. |