HEAL Network

💚 DAY 1 of ' ' - Regional Cooperation & Capacity Building! 🌏 Sotiris Vardoulakis, HEAL National Research Network's Director reflects on an incredible first day of the 5th International Conference funded by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), on:
• Nuclear legacy to climate resilience in the Asia-Pacific – cascading environmental & health crises.
• Smoke haze from wildfires (forest, peat, agricultural fires) being a major source of air pollution and an increasing public health threat in Southeast Asia.
• Priority population groups: Children, pregnant women, the elderly, and Indigenous and ethnic communities, who are particularly vulnerable.
• Indigenous, Ethnic & Local (‘Hill’) Peoples, traditional knowledges, lived experience, artwork, and story telling.
• Affordable technologies- Low-cost sensors, atmospheric models, early warning systems, air purifiers, clean air rooms, urban greening.
• Regional cooperation, knowledge exchange, awareness raising, community engagement, open-source data, and capacity building for citizens/scientists are all essential.
• Weave together diverse knowledge systems to communicate impacts and develop open-source solutions.
• Just transition to clean energy transition is not only about emission targets, it’s about equity, social justice, and reimaging technology.
• Health should be a foundational consideration in clean energy transition, not just a co-benefit.

🙏 Thank you so much to our inspirational, thought-provoking 'Global South' speakers!!

'We need agility in responding to current and emerging crises. Other State and Territory Governments could learn from South Australia’s experiences with the harmful algal bloom by ensuring they are “ready for any environmental change”, with an established multidisciplinary team' said Professor Craig Williams PFHEA in a recently published Croakey Health Media article on the 'National lessons from South Australia’s algal bloom crisis' (https://www.croakey.org/national-lessons-from-south-australias-algal-bloom-crisis/).

The article by Alison Barrett and Melissa Sweet highlights the perfect timing of the Conference which includes the South Australia Regional Hub symposium on Tuesday 4th November 2025 (https://healnetwork.vfairs.com/en/). It will explore the wide-ranging public of the 2025 harmful , including upon inequities, issues such income and employment, and eco-anxiety.

“We have forgotten our role to be carers – to live in balance and harmony with the environment.” said Assoc. Prof Matthews regarding the upcoming .
https://healnetwork.vfairs.com

This great article by
- https://www.croakey.org/weaving-diverse-knowledges-into-climate-action-for-better-health/