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Curtin University provides a role in advisory and consultative services in HIA and climate change in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
To achieve our aims, we have been designated a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre as a result of previous work that focuses on partnerships for activities such as education, research, training and the provision of advisory and consultation services in health impact assessment and related activities. Our Centre also plans, conducts, and evaluates HIA and climate change research, communicating at regional and International forums.
Activities
They cover three broad categories:
Activity 1
Support WHO in building capacity of Member States on climate change and Health Impact Assessment
Activity 2
Provide technical input and support for WHO’s consideration towards its development and dissemination of HIA guidelines that integrate climate change assessments and enable Member States to meet their sustainable development agenda
Activity 3
Undertake collaborative research and promote technical standards in line with WHO’s recommendations to monitor the health impacts of climate change in Member States to mitigate and adapt to changing environments
Areas of expertise
The Collaborating Centre strives for excellence in research, consultancy and teaching activities
Within Curtin University, expertise from staff may involve the following disciplines:
Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety
Environmental and Occupational Medicine
Climate Change and Sustainability
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Health Economics
Health Policy and Management
Health Promotion
International Health
Monitoring and evaluation
Nutrition, Food Science and Technology
Psychology
Public Health
Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology
Social Sciences, including stakeholder engagement and communication
Our research
Climate change and health
The current trends in climatic change will impact human populations and have the potential to become a significant threat to public health. Individuals and communities will need to adapt to and mitigate these changed environmental circumstances to avoid adverse consequences. The World Health Organization has acknowledged that populations face risks to health from climate change. These risks include heat stress, waterborne, food borne and vector borne diseases, respiratory diseases due to air pollution, and psychosocial concerns from the displacement of people. There is also the potential for indirect effects on health associated with changes to water supplies and food production. Building resilient health systems, using transdisciplinary approaches and systems thinking will be critical if we are to withstand the impacts of climate change and other stresses.
The Centre participates in climate change and health activities through:
Development and promotion of the use of an HIA framework in public health adaptation to climate change risks
Research to increase knowledge and understanding of the health impacts from climate change
Partnerships with institutions involved in responding to climate change
Membership in the NHMRC Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) National Research Network
Development and implementation of training for vulnerability and adaptation assessments
Development and participation in research projects, and consultancies
