AHPA is a member and supporter of the Climate and Health Alliance. Earlier this year they conducted a survey about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our health sector members, and the implications it may have for climate advocacy. The key findings have been released.
The results of the survey show:
• 100 respondents across Australia completed this survey, 91% of whom were health or medical professionals, or were completing study in this field. The largest subgroup was medical professionals (20%), followed by nurses and midwives (18%).
• The most common changes that respondents experienced during April-June included:
1. Environmental shifts and adaptations;
2. Interruptions to systems/ medical care of patients; and,
3. Role changes and/or loss of employment.
• The most commonly reported priorities across five open-ended questions were (in no particular order):
1. Preventing further spread of COVID-19;
2. Responding to the secondary effects of COVID-19;
3. Health service preparedness and resilience; and,
4. Committing to climate action.
In this survey, the CAHA network highlighted that short-sightedness risks failing to address the bigger picture issues that have led to (and will result from) COVID-19. Respondents believed it was vital to consider the secondary impacts of the virus; including the impact of containment measures on determinants of health for vulnerable communities.
They have called for strong leadership and innovative thinking during strategic planning. They also want to see data from this pandemic considered judiciously; and that we learn from our successes and shortcomings during this response.
Lastly, despite the emotional and psychological challenges that have burdened healthcare workers during this time, they remain focused and optimistic about building climate resilience across the healthcare sector.
Please find attached and via links below our full report and some posts on social media - we encourage you to share these across your social media platforms.
Link to report on website: bit.ly/2RhYHgN
Link to Twitter: https://twitter.com/healthy_climate/status/1303916163965923330
Link to Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/climateandhealthalliance/posts/4317204621687298