A survey conducted by the Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA), Health Care Without Harm’s Healthy Energy Initiative partner in Australia, reveal overwhelming concern among Australian healthcare stakeholders regarding the lack of a national strategy to protect Australians from the health impacts of global warming.

In this new report, more than 130 peak health bodies, unions and health professionals – including doctors, nurses, midwives, public health practitioners and psychologists – were asked to evaluate the health sector’s preparedness for the impacts of climate change.

The results uncovered major gaps and widespread concerns, revealing:

• Health professionals consider the government’s current climate policy a failure (52% considered the Direct Action Plan “not at all effective”)
• 78% think Australia’s current climate policies are inconsistent with our international obligations, including the Paris Agreement
• Nearly 90% of respondents were well informed about climate change and health and aware that people’s health could benefit from climate mitigation and adaptation strategies
• Almost universal agreement (98%) regarding the need for Australia to develop a national strategy on climate, health and well-being

The preliminary report into the survey results can be accessed here. CAHA’s media release can be viewed here.