Poverty, climate change and health in Pacific Island countries

• Lesley Russell
• Menzies Centre for Health Policy

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23 April 2009This discussion paper highlights the considerable health, social and economic consequences of climate change in the developing countries of the Pacific Ocean, where fragile environments, failing economies, poor population health, and a shortage of needed workforce skills mean there are fewer resources to prevent and manage them.

The paper does not aim to present policies and strategies that might be adopted by Australia and the US, separately and together, to address the environmental and health problems that confront Pacific Island countries. Rather, its purpose is to summarise the underlying issues and the available data.

This paper is the third in a small series that looks at current issues in health in Australia and the US and considers what the two countries can learn from each other about how to successfully tackle these issues.