This week in Australian Medicine: Climate Change and Asthma
The latest issue of the Australian Medicine is now available online. The online edition features updates on the AMA’s advocacy regarding the children on Nauru, Aged Care and mandatory reporting, as well as political news and important research findings among other articles.
One article discusses the impact of climate change on health, noting the AMA’s warning to the Government to not ignore the future health implications of climate change. The article discusses the recent Global Warming of 1.5°C report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate which called for urgent action to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
AMA President, Dr Tony Bartone, is quoted in the article saying: “The 2018 report shows that the magnitude of projected heat-related morbidity and mortality would be even greater with global warming at 2°C than by limiting global warming at 1.5°C.”
Dr Bartone also noted that the report is consistent with AMA policy. Read more in the AMA Position Statement on Climate Change and Human Health.
Another article presents recent statistics on mortality rates for asthma, revealing that Baby boomer women are at an increasing risk of dying from asthma. While the overall number of asthma-related deaths in Australia decreased from 455 to 441 in 2017, deaths of women aged 55 to 64 doubled from 16 to 32. The article recommends that people with asthma should have regular check-ups with their GP.
Read the full issue here.
