Environmental Determinants of Health 4-Part Webinar Series
A deep-dive webinar series exploring practical strategies to integrate environmental factors into patient care and health policies.
This 4-part webinar series will enhance your understanding of how environmental factors shape health outcomes by exploring the significance of clean air, safe water, sustainable housing, climate change and more, all through the lens of real-world applications and best practices. It will equip you with actionable strategies and tools to address environmental determinants in the workplace, and provide advice for how to advocate for policies that foster healthier, sustainable communities. This series will allow you to be at the forefront of change conversations that consider the environmental health ecosystem. Each webinar will include expert speakers, case studies, and practical insights to equip you with the knowledge and skills to navigate the environmental health landscape.
The goal for this webinar series is to:
- Foster Understanding
- Empower Action
- Catalyse Advocacy
Series Facilitator: Professor Tony Capon, Director of Monash Sustainable Development Institute and an internationally recognised public health physician and authority on environmental health and health promotion
Who should attend?
Health and social care providers, program managers and policymakers, students, researchers, and anyone eager to lead positive health systems reform.
Register now to secure your spot.
Webinar 1: From Earth to Health | Friday 10 May |12:30 – 13:45
This webinar explores the direct and indirect health effects of climate change and the major role clinician-researchers play in shaping health outcomes that are influenced by environmental shifts. This webinar serves as a powerful starting point for an in-depth exploration of the environmental determinants of health, and it will empower the healthcare workforce to think critically about integrating environmental determinants into current and future work programs.
Panel:
- Professor Fiona Armstrong, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
- Thomas Astell-Burt, Professor of Cities and Planetary Health at the University of Sydney’s School of Architecture, Design and Planning
- Associate Professor Veronica Matthews, Co-Lead CRE STRIDE, University Centre for Rural Health, Lismore
Webinar 2: Bridging Health and Ecosystems | Friday 17 May |12:30 – 13:45
This webinar will unravel the intricate relationship between biodiversity, ecosystems, and human health by exploring the critical environmental factors affecting ecosystems and their direct impact on public health. It will explore the intersection of General Practice/Primary Care, sustainability, and mental health, and discuss policy opportunities that support sustainable livestock strategies and enhance food and nutrition security through a One Health approach.
Panel:
- Dr Aaron Jenkins, Horizon Fellow & Senior Research Fellow in Planetary Health, University of Sydney
- Associate Professor Grant Blashki, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, practicing GP and clinical advisor to beyondblue
- Professor Robyn Alders, Senior Consulting Fellow, Chatham House
Webinar 3: Home Sweet Health | Friday 24 May |12:30 – 13:45
This webinar will explore the critical influence of housing and residential location on individual health and wellbeing. It will delve into topics such as housing affordability, tenure, and their measurable effects on health, extending to the impact of urban form and transportation on the health of residents in rural, remote, regional, and major city communities. Furthermore, it will explore the advocacy for social and community work policies to improve environmental conditions and foster healthier living environments.
Panel:
- Philippa Howden-Chapman, Co-director of He Kāinga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme and the New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities
- Ayla Hope, Associate Director, Community Impact, Healthy North Coast
- Kerryn Lawrence, Assistant Manager, Aboriginal Environmental Health Unit at NSW Health
Webinar 4: From Policy to Practice | Friday 31 May| 12:30 – 14:00
This webinar will empower participants with the knowledge and tools needed to make a tangible impact on individual and community health through an enhanced understanding of environmental determinants. It will look at existing healthcare policies to evaluate their consideration of environmental determinants, aiming to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement. It will provide practical strategies to seamlessly integrate environmental factors into patient care and discuss the importance of advocacy and leadership in advancing policies prioritising environmental health. Participants will gain insights into effective ways to drive positive change within their professional spheres.
Panel:
- Dr Liza Barbour, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food, Monash University
- Dr Brian O’Connell, Emergency Physician, Sustainable Healthcare Clinical Lead Mid North Coast Local Health District, Net Zero Lead for NSW Emergency
- Dr Kate Wylie, GP and the Executive Director of Doctors for the Environment Australia
The Centre is committed to building cross-sector relationships and has a collective approach to health and social care. Learn about our Patrons.
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we live and work, the Bundjalung, Arakwal, Yaegl, Gumbaynggirr, Githabul, Dunghutti and Birpai Nationsand their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to elders past, present and future.