HPRO6715 Foundations of Health Promotion

Introduction

The health of planet is an attitude towards living philosophy and life itself (1). It can be described as overall health of human civilization and natural resources on which human beings are dependent. With respect to this concern, in this report the planetary health is discussed with the description of Bushfire in Australia, due to human activities from the past decade, the risk of bushfires in Australia increased as fire season starts before the estimated time which lead to extreme fire weather which becomes more severe due to changes in climate (13).  This report broadens the research on health including external systems that either threaten or sustain planetary health with respect to bushfire in Australia. This report offers alternative solutions for a resilient future of Australia to decrease the impact of Bushfires. This report not only investigates effects of changes on environment health but also study the health promotion strategies to overcome the present situation where humanity is suffering in Australia.

Role of Health Promotion

The current health promotion strategies to protect the environment from bushfire are dependent on short-term measures which are only aimed at reduction of exposure to pollution. These measures include the avoidance of outdoor visits due to increased temperature especially if a person has cardiovascular diseases and respiratory problem, use of face masks and anti-oxidant supplements, temporary relocation, and adequate smoke forecast. These measures are applicable on personal level but at national level, Australia has established various strategies to deal with this situation (5). 

Source: Vardoulakis S, Jalaludin BB, Morgan GG, Hanigan IC, Johnston FH, 2020.

As the human health is dependent on the health of planet the same goes in case of planetary health, where the health of planet is dependent on the human activities which has rapidly transforming the natural systems and affective the planet in overall terms such as land degradation, climatic disruption, water scarcity, pollution, and biodiversity loss (6). These impacts are threatening the planet and global health gains. In terms of Australian Bushfire, the society is contributing to disturb the health of planet in terms of atmosphere composition alteration, degradation of arable lands before replenished, pollution, overfishing, changing the temperature and chemistry of oceans, withdraw ground water faster, drastic reduction in number of animal species and other co-inhabitants, and human beings are putting poor people and future generation in danger (4). For instance, due to the bushfire, the Australia weather has changed, the temperature of Australia have increased to 0.7 degree Celsius since 1960. The whole nation is experiencing warmth which occurs in all season and this leads to increase in green house gases (1). 

Source: Shaw, et al., 2021.

Due to the adverse effect of Bushfire, Australian citizens are suffering from the various planetary health issues such as the novel corona virus outbreak, this has burden the health of human beings in term of mental health issues, by affecting the lifestyles and environment where they are living.

Planetary Health Care model

The health of planet requires the long-term changes which can help to benefit the entire communities all across the world. This program requires a paradigm shift from healthcare model which focuses on short term wins to long-term investment which are required to prevent pollution, climate change and other impacts on planet. The mainstream discourse of planetary health is strengthening perspectives of inter-personal healthcare profession.

Source: Frumkin, Jackson, & Coussens, 2012.

When applied this model to treat the bushfire impact, various policies have established by keeping in mind the health of globe, planet, and environment. The Australian Government has established carious strategies such as strategies to reduce green house gases by limiting the uses of transportation, agriculture and food, electricity, etc. The country has also implemented measures to reduce the climate pollutants to diminish the impact of bushfire on the health of society and this measure is mainly focused on the reduction of carbon dioxide. Other measures include environmental care associated with the health of population. This measure is concerned with the social determinants of health of Australian citizens (14). 

Risks associated with adverse Planetary Health through disasters such as Bushfires: It was estimated by the global pollution report that seventy percent of the nine million excess deaths are annually caused due to pollution which is responsible in producing non-communicable diseases such as lung cancer, stroke, cardiac diseases, etc. Air pollution is solely responsible for seven million deaths. Due to increase in global temperature along with climate change can lead to form troposphere ozone which is dependent on ozone precursor’s emission. Ozone gases contribute to allergic respiratory diseases and cardio respiratory diseases by increasing pollen production. Degradation of land is the other risk which is caused due to burning of forests for industrialization purposes. This will lead to cause various adverse effects such as loss of variant species, emission of smoke, loss of valuable land, etc. By changing the biogeochemical flows can lead to the ramification of ecosystems in favour of diseases caused by pathogens and vectors. For instance, nitrogen and phosphorous contamination to agricultural land can cause eutrophication of water bodies which will impact the aquatic life and promote the growth of toxic algae. Increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide, lead to global warming and increase green house effect (2).

Source: Whitmee, et al., 2015.

Planetary Health Promotion Interventions

Australian government has a number of action plans, frameworks, and strategies are established to support the planetary health, the country has several action plans that will guide the international arrangements in respect to planetary health. These are categorized as follow:

• National approaches to adapt and mitigate to risk of natural disasters to improve resilience for the future and present aspects.
• National approaches to enhance the preparedness for the effective recovery and response towards the adverse impacts of bushfire on natural system.
• National approaches for the promotion of interoperability within and between jurisdiction of data, equipment, information, and much more.
• The funding and budgeting of the plans and programs across the country to deal with these issues and to provide the financial support to a certain scale.
• These national frameworks to improve the planetary health are building by consensus, which was adopted nationwide as per the rules and regulation of different governments across the states.
• Each of the state has slightly different approaches towards the management of impacts on natural resources of human activities and governance approaches which impellent and integrates these national frameworks in a different ways. Most international and national governments have committees for the specific purposes such as committee of sustainable growth, pollution prevention committees, and committee to address climate change and address the natural disasters such as bushfires. These committees are helpful to assist planetary health authorities such as WHO or UN bodies to make operational and strategic decisions about the management of planetary health interventions (3).

Source: Puszka, 2021.

Recommendations

1. Shared technologies and Common information platforms, there has to be share technologies and common platforms to assess the information, production collaboration, knowledge and data about human activities across the world about nature disaster risks (14).
2. International Climate Projections, to inform the future aspects and assessment of disasters and impacts of human activities on natural resources. It will be conducted by government agencies with emergency prevention responsibilities of natural system management.  
3. Consistent Data Standard, to measure the impact of various human activities such as agricultural exploitation of land, deforestation for industrialization, and pollution, there has to be consistent data available on shared technological platforms.
4. A international register where all the human made hazardous impacts are mentioned to light both the future and present situations where they can be avoided in case there are chances of repetition (7).

Role of Ottawa Charter for health promotion in Australian Bushfire Impact

According to Ottawa Charter the health promotion is a process to improve the health of individual and control over it. To reach the standards of complete health communities or individual need to identify their needs and to change as per the environmental phenomenon or cope with them such as to deal with the adverse impact of bushfire or to prevent the overall impact on their health by reducing the activities that cause global warming. Thus, health is considered as the resources of life but not the objective of living (11). Ottawa has suggested various aspects to consider the well being and health of individual and in terms of planetary health the points can be described as follow:

Prerequisites- The fundamentals of health are peace, shelter, income, food, education, sustainable resources, social justice, and stable ecosystem. To remain healthy, all these prerequisites are required to improve the health of individuals. In order to sustain the health of planet, the prerequisites are responsible citizens, sustainable business development, effective education and learning of the planetary health, and care and nurturing of ecosystems.

Advocate: The good health of planet is dependent on various factors such social, personal, and economical along with quality of life. All these factors will either favour the health of planet or adversely affect it. Advocacy helps to make these factors favourable for the planetary health.

Enable: This aspect if focused on equality in health through health promotion, it aims to reduce the inequalities and differences in status of health through different cultures and societies. In terms of planetary health, the equality is related to the equal utilization of natural resources by different people, societies, and countries. There should be no gap in the proper utilization of natural resources where one portions of the population is exploiting natural resources and other is deprived of it.

Mediate: Health cannot be only maintained by prerequisites but it requires involving economic and social sectors, governments, voluntary organization or local authorities. In order to mediate planetary health the same concept is applicable in which each and every body living on this planet is responsible to take care of the health of the planet (10).

Action Means of Planetary Health:

1. Formation of health policies related to planetary health – There has to be formulation of robust frameworks to promote the planetary health action in which strategic implementation of these polices need to be consider.
2. Supportive environmental programs- The government or non-government bodies have to establish well-structured environmental friendly programs in which people need be aware of the consequences of all the human activities performed in terms of gaining monetary profits.
3. Strengthening of Communities action – The action need to be taken at individual level where each and every person of all the communities from different culture or from different countries require to be involve to act collectively on this issue.
4. Development of effective resources utilization strategies – The natural resources need to be utilized well and in a timely framed manner to prevent the unnecessary exploitation of resources (12).
5. Reorient the health programs for planet – The present action plans to prevent the adverse effects on nature is not working well, higher authorities need to implement serious strategic plan to take strict actions.
6. Consider the future aspects – All the action plan need to consider the sustainable development goals for the future generation in which strategies are building by keeping the future generation in mind.
7. Commitment to promotion of planetary health – All the actions plans and programs are ineffective if not performed well without adequate implementation and this can only be achieve through commitment to these plans.
8. International Action Plan – The holistic and collective approach need to be consider while strategizing the action plan to reduce the exploitation of planet where people need to work with collective mindset to save the planet (10).

Conclusion

The connection between human health and the health of planet is appropriately discussed in this report. To be concluded, it can be suggested that safeguarding the natural system of planet is important and it is the peak time to take major actions. Due to the current situation of planet earth, where there is pandemic outbreak, climate change, global warming, deforestation, and pollution, a robust health promotion strategic framework is required to be established. To overcome the negative impacts of human activities on natural environment, people need to change their core values in terms of respecting Mother Nature. Human beings are the most technologically advanced and highly civilized creature on earth, to take care of planet is solely dependent on human beings. Considering all the health promotion strategies can be suggested that there is still hope where we can save planet earth as there is no backup or alternative of this planet.

References

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