''There is a clear demand for a collaborative knowledge-sharing on climate adaptation and mitigation. As a consequence of urban expansion, green spaces are lost and the available areas for pervious green areas are decreasing. Many cities will experience greater impacts from flooding and heatstress due to climate change. Blue-green and small scale Nature-based solutions (NBS) such as bio swales, raingardens and wetlands offer opportunities to adapt urban areas to the impacts of climate change, but their multiple benefits are often unknown to the wider public. Research suggests that effective management of mitigate flood events and heat stress will be achieved by applying a range of NBS measures at different locations in cities [Majidi et al 2019]. Mapping of these (potential) locations for NBS will raise awareness and contribute to capacity building on climate adaptation. Some open source Climate Change Adaptation Platforms (CCAPs) allow mapping of NBS by citizen science and can help to inform and inspire different stakeholders on the topic of climate adaptation in respective region. The aim of most CCAPs is to facilitate an open and free exchange of knowledge on an international scale. Raising awareness about climate adaptation in urban areas and promoting NBS are also key aims.''
Background: Burden of disease estimates are an important resource in public health. Currently, robust estimates are not available for the burn population. Our objectives are to adapt a refined methodology (INTEGRIS method) to burns and to apply this new INTEGRIS-burns method to estimate, and compare, the burden of disease of burn injuries in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands. Methods: Existing European and Western-Australian health-related quality of life (HRQL) datasets were combined to derive disability weights for three homogenous burn injury groups based on percentage total body surface area (%TBSA) burned. Subsequently, incidence data from Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands from 2010 to 2017 were used to compute annual non-fatal burden of disease estimates for each of these three countries. Non-fatal burden of disease was measured by years lived with disability (YLD). Results: The combined dataset included 7159 HRQL (EQ-5D-3 L) outcomes from 3401 patients. Disability weights ranged from 0.046 (subgroup <5% TBSA burned > 24 months post-burn) to 0.497 (subgroup > 20% TBSA burned 0-1 months post-burn). In 2017 the non-fatal burden of disease of burns for the three countries (YLDs/100,000 inhabitants) was 281 for Australia, 279 for New Zealand and 133 for the Netherlands. Conclusions: This project established a method for more precise estimates of the YLDs of burns, as it is the only method adapted to the nature of burn injuries and their recovery. Compared to previous used methods, the INTEGRIS-burns method includes improved disability weights based on severity categorization of burn patients; a better substantiated proportion of patients with lifelong disability based; and, the application of burn specific recovery timeframes. Information derived from the adapted method can be used as input for health decision making at both the national and international level. Future studies should investigate whether the application is valid in low- and middle- income countries.
Older people are often over-represented in morbidity and mortality statistics associated with hot and cold weather, despite remaining mostly indoors. The study “Improving thermal environment of housing for older Australians” focused on assessing the relationships between the indoor environment, building characteristics, thermal comfort and perceived health/wellbeing of older South Australians over a study period that included the warmest summer on record. Our findings showed that indoor temperatures in some of the houses reached above 35 °C. With concerns about energy costs, occupants often use adaptive behaviours to achieve thermal comfort instead of using cooling (or heating), although feeling less satisfied with the thermal environment and perceiving health/wellbeing to worsen at above 28 °C (and below 15 °C). Symptoms experienced during hot weather included tiredness, shortness of breath, sleeplessness and dizziness, with coughs and colds, painful joints, shortness of breath and influenza experienced during cold weather. To express the influence of temperature and humidity on perceived health/wellbeing, a Temperature Humidity Health Index (THHI) was developed for this cohort. A health/wellbeing perception of “very good” is achieved between an 18.4 °C and 24.3 °C indoor operative temperature and a 55% relative humidity. The evidence from this research is used to inform guidelines about maintaining home environments to be conducive to the health/wellbeing of older people. Original publication at MDPI: https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13010096 © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI.
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Youth GEMS zal vijf jaar lang onderzoek doen naar genetische en omgevingsfactoren die van invloed zijn op de geestelijke gezondheid van jongeren. Doel Dit project beoogt middels vroegdetectie en het gebruik van vroegtijdige interventies het welzijn te bevorderen van jongeren die o.a. zijn blootgesteld aan traumatische ervaringen. Resultaten Het opzetten van een internationaal netwerk van jongere ervaringsdeskundigen, het ontwikkelen van instrumenten en tools. Looptijd 01 juni 2022 - 01 juni 2026 Aanpak Participatief actieonderzoek met jongeren in combinatie met neurobiologische en klinische studies maken deel uit van de aanpak. Samenwerking met kennispartners Universiteit Maastricht, (Nederland) UMCU, (Nederland) MPI, (Germany) RCSI & UCD (Ireland) UNEXE & Kings College London, University London, Cardiff University, EYMH (UK) University Barcelona & CRG, HGM (Spain) TU (Estonia) CNCPY, (Serbia) ABACUS, (Italy) University of Queensland Australia (associated partner) Relevantie/impact Vanuit UMC Utrecht en Hogeschool Utrecht zal in samenwerking met Euro Youth Mental Health gewerkt worden aan het opzetten van een Europese leergemeenschap van ervaringsdeskundige jongeren. Zij zullen op basis van collectieve ervaringen feedback geven op de verschillende projectonderdelen en mede helpen het bewustzijn onder jongeren én professionals te vergroten, onder andere met behulp van e-health. Deze e-health zal ook benut gaan worden in diverse onderwijssettingen.
