I will soon be in Zurich. I have friends there with whom I have been discussing the cost of petrol furore here and in the UK. There is no such debate in Zurich for they have an efficient public transport system which reduces use of the private car to a minimum. Australian cities are four decades behind in such developments with the possible exception of Perth. In terms of the future health and wellbeing of humanity, the rise in the price of oil is good news and it should not be beyond the capabilities of government to offer relief to those who cannot pay. On your behalf we will be pursuing the urgent need for more public transport as an important health measure over the coming months. There will be a new poster and submissions will be made to governments.

by Tony McMichael
The Australian National University
Observer at 2008 World Health Assembly, for the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology

The 61st World Health Assembly, held in Geneva during this past week and attended by national delegations from 193 Member States, has underscored the urgency of tackling global climate change and its diverse risks to health around the world. Those risks will press particularly on vulnerable regions and poorly-resourced populations.
 
On Saturday May 24, the Assembly passed unanimously a strongly worded resolution, seeking to engage the health sector, at international and national levels, in responding to climate change. A key component of this task is to alert policy-makers and populations to the fundamental nature of the risks posed by climate change, not just by dint of physical hazards, but also by affecting many biological and ecological processes upon which human health depends.

Dengue is reported to be the fastest growing vector-borne disease in the world. In recent years, dengue has spread extensively in North and South America and in Mexico it increased 600 percent between 2001 and 2007. The disease has spread to Hawaii and along the border in Texas. The disease is expected to increase in northern Australia with climate change (see Climate Change Health Check on this page)

Dengue fever is caused by an RNA flavivirus spread by the bites of mosquitoes particularly in the urban areas of the tropics. Symptoms include fever, headache, rash, severe pains in the muscles and joints, and pain behind the eye. The fever form of the disease is rarely fatal, while the related dengue haemorrhagic fever is a severe disease with death in approximately 5 percent of cases. Dengue hemorrhagic fever occurs most often in children younger than 15 years old. It also occurs most often in individuals who were previously infected with simple dengue fever.

 A PRESS RELEASE in April by  our parent organisation ISDE called for a total ban on the use of artificial food additives in children’s food and drinks. It said

Recently published research in the Lancet [1] has shown conclusively that certain artificial colourants and flavourings can induce behavioural changes in children consuming them. Professor Vyvyan Howard of the University of Ulster, President of ISDE and an internationally recognised toxicologist, said “The UK FSA is to be congratulated on acting on the results of Professor Stephenson’s research by asking for the EU-wide banning of six food colourants from infant foods. These chemicals have no nutritional value. A number of the colourants are in fact aniline dyes made from coal tar. ISDE supports Professor Stephenson’s recent statement calling for the removal of these additives in foods destined for consumption by children but ISDE feels that this is an opportunity to examine the whole topic of food additives in children’s food. On a purely precautionary basis they should be discontinued. We personally don’t feed any of these to our 2 year old daughter, Hannah”.

Doctors for the Environment Australia has had many requests for help from members regarding sustainability in their hospitals. Most say that it is difficult to find sources of information.

In relation to greenhouse emissions from public hospitals, this is a state responsibility and i have been unable to find any overall strategy from the Federal government. Some states seem to be taking the matter seriously, others do not. Overall it is not clear what is happening in private hospitals and this needs to be explored further.

In South Australia I was told that  all engineering options in energy saving had been instituted and the next advance would be the building of the large new hospital in Adelaiade which would have energy saving features. Of course this statement worries me for  the greenhouse cost of a huge new building must be includied in the equation and I am not sure that it has.

Our parent organisation International Society of Doctors for the Environment has some expertise in this area through other national groups. Cathy Falvo of the USA Physicians for Social responsibility has supplied a list of sites worth reviewing  for what ideas are available outside Australia.

If members have other sources of information please send them to me and i will add them to this article.

Useful sites

Healthcare Without Harm

There is so much bad news on the environmental consequences of climate change that it is difficult to remain positive. Martin Williams sets a good example in positivity in his article below
This mornng I was approached by two young ladies from Jehovah's Kingdom who told me that armageddon was approaching because of global warming. When I said '"I agree" they were stunned and had no more to say. If I had read Martin William's article I would have been more positive. I feel a retrospective guilt!
This article will appear on the blog so please let us have your views
Editor