Program aim

To define how the environment affects human health - taking a broad definition of environment to include air, water and soil as well as the built environment and socio-demographic factors, and to improve the environmental health and wellbeing of rural communities.

A strong basis for the research program

The environmental health program has developed an extensive network of collaborators in the academic and government sectors from a range of health, environment, epidemiological and statistical backgrounds. Team members are experts in the use of routinely collected health, environment and socio-demographic data for environmental health research, and has an established track record with both international and national published research on the health effects of environmental risk factors including: air pollution, pesticides, infectious disease, lead, socio-economic status, spatial epidemiology. There is renewed interest in the use of such ecological data for public health research. These routinely collected data coupled with our developing expertise in small area analysis (spatial epidemiology) position us well to conduct cost effective research in environmental health. The program has attracted funding to conduct environmental health research including the health effects of air pollution, lead in children’s blood and vector borne disease. The Northern Rivers Research Centre is the lead agency in a 3 year ARC-Linkage grant (2004 to 2006) on spatial environmental epidemiology using routinely collected data including studies investigating environmental risk factors for childhood leukaemia, adverse birth outcomes, and heart disease, and is the convener of the public health program on the Australian Research Council – Network Grant (2004-2008) in Spatially Integrated Social Science.

Key stakeholders are engaged in setting and implementing the research agenda

The program has a strong relationship with NSW Health via its continued collaboration with the NCAHS, the NSW Environmental Health Branch, and the NSW Health Centre of Epidemiology and Research. The Broken Hill based group works closely with the local community on the development and conduct of research to inform both environmental lead and blood lead remediation/reduction strategies. These collaborating groups, with advice from the Collaboration Advisory Council will assist to further set the research agenda for the future and assist in translation of findings into improved environmental health policy.

In the next 3-5 years

• Continued development of our national profile as leaders in the field of applied spatial epidemiology and small area analysis of routinely collected health data.
• Increased collaboration with the NCAHS in the application of disease mapping and small area epidemiological techniques to inform planning and service delivery
• Continued close collaboration with NSW Health on the implementation of tools and techniques for small area analysis of routinely collected health data.
• Improved collaboration with ARHRC partners to identify and conduct environmental health projects in the fields of health and water, climate, air quality, equity

Team:
Associate Professor Geoff Morgan - NRUDRH
Professor John Beard - NRUDRH
Professor David Lyle - BHUDRH
Frances Borland – BHUDRH
Richard Summerhayes – NRUDRH
Doug Lincoln – NRUDRH
Arul Earnest – NRUDRH
Therese Dunn – NRUDRH
Kathy Heathcoate – NRUDRH