At HMRI we are looking to the health impacts on populations directly and indirectly affected by the bushfires that have been raging throughout Australia since October 2019.

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The bushfires which have been raging across Australia since October 2019 have devastated communities, impacted air quality across vast areas, destroyed wildlife and bushland on a scale not previously recorded.

Whilst, quite rightly, there is much focus on the immediate term response to these disasters, at HMRI we are looking to the wider impacts on populations directly and indirectly affected.

From the devastating loss of life, wildlife and bushland, to the heartwrenching loss of homes and businesses, the impacts will be ongoing. Bushfires have also generated a long-term health issue with smoke causing health problems across the nation and the impact on mental health is far reaching for those suffering loss and the general public

It’s a national crisis, and as it’s unlikely to be an isolated case, we need to be proactive in addressing the health issues.

A team of HMRI researchers have come together to form an expert working group to explore what needs to be done long-term, and to call on the public for their input and engagement in informing our work. From mental health to respiratory health, we are keen to take our existing knowledge and apply it to this problem and investigate further to find solutions where we don’t have the answers.

But we need your help.

• We want to know “How have the bushfires impact your health: physically and mentally?”
• What are your concerns and questions about the impacts and what you can do to alleviate the symptoms or protect yourselves?

We’ll be taking questions from the public and asking our experts for their advice, which we’ll be sharing on Facebook and our website.

So please, tell us, how have the bushfires impacted you?

We have asked our expert researchers to provide their insight on your questions. Do you have a question, we haven’t answered yet? Email us at communications@hmri.org.au and let us know.

Your Bushfire Health Related Questions & Answers