In 2021, the WHO declared “climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity" with children bearing an estimated 88% of the health burden attributable to climate change.
Children’s vulnerability is increased due to rapid growth, higher exposures per unit body weight, more future years of life affected, and inability to protect themselves. Children that are disadvantaged, disabled, sick and vulnerable are at an even higher risk of adverse health outcomes
Though researchers generally agree that high temperatures and air pollution can endanger children, the mechanisms behind how the climate affects child health is unclear. Currently, there's a data gap of detailed, local evidence on which specific climate variables - like extreme heat, pollution particles and bushfire smoke - affect which child health outcomes.
To fill this gap in knowledge, sub-project researchers are using detailed ORIGINS health and wellbeing data from children over time to determine the effects of climate change on child health and wellbeing in Australia.
ORIGINS collects detailed data from children over time, therefore sub-project researchers can match this with local climate data to identify which environmental factors are most harmful, where they’re happening, and which child health conditions are most affected.
This information will help develop targeted, practical interventions - such as strategies to reduce heat or air pollution exposure - that are designed with input from families and healthcare experts to better protect children from climate-related health risks.
Investigators
- Dr Melinda Judge at The Kids Research Institute Australia
- Dr Jackie Davis at The Kids Research Institute Australia
- Professor Peter Le Souëf at The University of Western Australia
- Professor Corey Bradshaw at Flinders University
- Dr Syeda Fatima at Flinders University
- Dr Lewis Weeda at the WA Department of Health
- Pranav Reddy, PhD student at The University of Western Australia
- Associate Professor Jatin Kala at Murdoch University
- Dr Mahdiyeh Razeghi at the University of Southern Queensland
- Dr Nazim Khan at The University of Western Australia