PHN releases climate change report

The Gippsland Primary Health Network has released a climate change strategy, which is driven by the connection between climate change and health.
The paper endorses research that links climate change with negative health impacts and outlines the long-term, short-term and medium-term timeframes and outcomes of the strategy.
Gippsland PHN acting chief executive officer Angela Jacob said the organisation was challenged by its Community Advisory Committee to create the report and the committee understood the connection between climate change and health. She said the committee also understood that it is important Gippsland PHN has a leadership role in adaptation.
"Extreme weather events and natural disasters driven by climate change will increasingly define the work of PHNs as they are recognised as the logical coordinators of primary care emergency response activities in their regions," she said.
Included in the paper's Climate Change Action Plan were objectives and actions including understanding, articulating and advocating for the impact of climate change on health for communities, providing leadership for Gippsland in planning for and responding to climate change impacts, having a seat at the table for federal, state and local disaster preparedness, response and recovery, understanding the social implications of climate change for inequality, developing a provider workforce with relevant knowledge and skills to address climate-related issues, and support mental and physical wellbeing of those impacted by more severe and frequent disasters.
Ms Jacob said the Baw Baw Sustainability Network, Healthy Futures and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) provided input and feedback on the strategy.
Data cited in the report included statistics about recent climate change impacts in Australia, including statistics on heatwave-related deaths and the financial impacts of the 2022 floods.