Health system adaptation to extreme weather events in Australia: A scoping review
Introduction: The increasing prevalence and severity of extreme weather events is likely to present challenges for the systems in which humans operate. This review investigates how the health system in Australia, a region heavily affected by bushfires, floods, droughts and extreme heat, is adapting...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | The Journal of Climate Change and Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278225000264 |
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| author | Rupert Legg Jason Prior Erica McIntyre Edgar Liu Mikaela Tracy Leona Tan Angela Dawson John Richmond Clare Perry |
| author_facet | Rupert Legg Jason Prior Erica McIntyre Edgar Liu Mikaela Tracy Leona Tan Angela Dawson John Richmond Clare Perry |
| author_sort | Rupert Legg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: The increasing prevalence and severity of extreme weather events is likely to present challenges for the systems in which humans operate. This review investigates how the health system in Australia, a region heavily affected by bushfires, floods, droughts and extreme heat, is adapting to the risks presented by extreme weather events and how these adaptations are being evaluated. Methods: By searching Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science for peer reviewed literature reporting on health system adaptations, 33 articles published between 2014 and 2023 were identified for inclusion. Results: Primarily, articles documented adaptations that, consistent with the World Health Organization's health system building blocks, focused on: the health workforce; health information systems; leadership and governance; and service delivery. Little attention was placed on access to essential medicines and health system financing. It was also most common for adaptations to address flooding, extreme heat, bushfires, and storms, reflecting the impact of such events in Australia. Adaptations tended to result in beneficial outcomes, including improved workforce capability, better health outcomes, reduced demand on and risk of overburdening the health system, lowered costs, and greater financial stability. However, how these elements come together to build health system resilience is unclear and barriers remain that reduce the effectiveness of adaptations. Conclusion: To ensure that Australia's health system is resilient to extreme weather events, future adaptations should focus particularly on access to essential medicines and financing, while future research should evaluate the outcomes of adaptations in a consolidated and systematic way. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6683cf47e1df45dfa83c1e4418a8bb6b |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2667-2782 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Journal of Climate Change and Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-6683cf47e1df45dfa83c1e4418a8bb6b2025-08-20T02:56:10ZengElsevierThe Journal of Climate Change and Health2667-27822025-03-012210044310.1016/j.joclim.2025.100443Health system adaptation to extreme weather events in Australia: A scoping reviewRupert Legg0Jason Prior1Erica McIntyre2Edgar Liu3Mikaela Tracy4Leona Tan5Angela Dawson6John Richmond7Clare Perry8Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Institute of Earth System Sciences, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany; Corresponding author: University of Technology Sydney, Building 10, 235 Jones St, Ultimo NSW 2007, Australia.Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Research Institute for Innovative Solutions for Well-being and Health (INSIGHT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, AustraliaInstitute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Research Institute for Innovative Solutions for Well-being and Health (INSIGHT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, AustraliaInstitute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Research Institute for Innovative Solutions for Well-being and Health (INSIGHT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, AustraliaResearch Institute for Innovative Solutions for Well-being and Health (INSIGHT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, AustraliaResearch Institute for Innovative Solutions for Well-being and Health (INSIGHT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, AustraliaResearch Institute for Innovative Solutions for Well-being and Health (INSIGHT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, AustraliaSheffield Centre for Health and Related Research (SCHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UKInstitute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, AustraliaIntroduction: The increasing prevalence and severity of extreme weather events is likely to present challenges for the systems in which humans operate. This review investigates how the health system in Australia, a region heavily affected by bushfires, floods, droughts and extreme heat, is adapting to the risks presented by extreme weather events and how these adaptations are being evaluated. Methods: By searching Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science for peer reviewed literature reporting on health system adaptations, 33 articles published between 2014 and 2023 were identified for inclusion. Results: Primarily, articles documented adaptations that, consistent with the World Health Organization's health system building blocks, focused on: the health workforce; health information systems; leadership and governance; and service delivery. Little attention was placed on access to essential medicines and health system financing. It was also most common for adaptations to address flooding, extreme heat, bushfires, and storms, reflecting the impact of such events in Australia. Adaptations tended to result in beneficial outcomes, including improved workforce capability, better health outcomes, reduced demand on and risk of overburdening the health system, lowered costs, and greater financial stability. However, how these elements come together to build health system resilience is unclear and barriers remain that reduce the effectiveness of adaptations. Conclusion: To ensure that Australia's health system is resilient to extreme weather events, future adaptations should focus particularly on access to essential medicines and financing, while future research should evaluate the outcomes of adaptations in a consolidated and systematic way.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278225000264Health systemsExtreme weather eventsClimate changeAdaptationResilienceAustralia |
| spellingShingle | Rupert Legg Jason Prior Erica McIntyre Edgar Liu Mikaela Tracy Leona Tan Angela Dawson John Richmond Clare Perry Health system adaptation to extreme weather events in Australia: A scoping review The Journal of Climate Change and Health Health systems Extreme weather events Climate change Adaptation Resilience Australia |
| title | Health system adaptation to extreme weather events in Australia: A scoping review |
| title_full | Health system adaptation to extreme weather events in Australia: A scoping review |
| title_fullStr | Health system adaptation to extreme weather events in Australia: A scoping review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Health system adaptation to extreme weather events in Australia: A scoping review |
| title_short | Health system adaptation to extreme weather events in Australia: A scoping review |
| title_sort | health system adaptation to extreme weather events in australia a scoping review |
| topic | Health systems Extreme weather events Climate change Adaptation Resilience Australia |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278225000264 |
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