Day: September 24, 2023

According to the World Health Organisation, climate change is the single biggest health threat that humans are facing. Even if you don’t feel directly impacted by the effects of climate change, your health may still be indirectly at risk in several ways. Here’s what you need to know about the impact of climate change on your health and what you can do to protect yourself. What is climate change? Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns caused by increases in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. While climate change can occur naturally, much of the

Australians have faced major flooding events in the last year with lives and homes lost. And years after the 2020 bushfires, people are still recovering from the effects of them, when 33 lives and over 3,000 homes were lost. Feeling stressed, scared or anxious about natural disasters, such as flooding or bushfires is completely normal, even if you’ve not been directly affected. You might be sad, worried, concerned for family or friends, or simply be wondering what you can do to help. Feelings: what’s normal and what’s not According to Beyond Blue, there’s a range of common, normal reactions to an extraordinary situation like a natural

Natural disasters often cause personal and financial hardship for both individuals and communities, and can result in loss of life. Here are some tips on how to be prepared, and how to cope during and after extreme weather events. Natural disasters in Australia can include heatwaves, bushfires, droughts, floods, severe storms and tropical cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides. How can I prepare for a natural disaster? The Australian Red Cross has an emergency REDiPlan, which you can download and fill out, that outlines 4 steps to prepare your household for an emergency such as a natural disaster: Step 1: Get in the know — Understand the hazards

Two out of three Australians use at least one form of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicine, with more than 300 million prescribed medicines given in 2020 to 2021. So when a natural disaster strikes — such as a bushfire, floods or cyclones — the way people manage their medicines and medical devices is a big deal to their health. Natural disasters may result in shortages of medication, so it’s important to get prepared if you can. Some people with diabetes can’t survive without insulin, for example, while many people with asthma or COPD rely on salbutamol. Then there are antiepileptic medications, antidepressants, hormonal contraception, statins, ACE inhibitors, metformin and many more. You could fill a filing cabinet with the list of medicines that are

Protective face masks have flown off the shelves in recent weeks, as many Australian towns and cities have become shrouded in bushfire smoke and haze. The poor air quality in Sydney and Brisbane has been compared to smoggy cities such as Beijing and Mumbai. But how effective are face masks at filtering out bushfire smoke? Face masks: only P2 will do Bushfire smoke creates very fine particulate matter (PM) — tiny solid particles and airborne liquid droplets that you can’t see — along with gases such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The size of the PM can affect your health in

Bushfires are common in Australia and can lead to a natural disaster. It’s important to understand your level of bushfire risk so you can prepare your property, protect your health and know what to do if a fire starts. Bushfires can occur at any time in Australia, although some regions will be at greatest risk at a specific time of the year. It’s important to be prepared year round. Am I at risk of a bushfire? If you live, work or travel near bushland, grassland or farmland, you could be at risk of a bushfire. Even if you aren’t that close,