Department of Epidemiology at the Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University, hosted a guest lecture entitled “Future Research on Climate Impact on Health” on Friday, 9 October 2026. The event welcomed approximately 100 participants to the Prof. Dr. Nur Nasry Noor Room (K225) at the Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University, for a discussion on climate change, epidemiology, public health, and future research.
The lecture featured Professor Karin Leder, Professor (Research) in Planetary Health at Monash University and Professor (Research) in Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at Alfred Health, Australia. She discussed how climate change can affect health through multiple pathways, including ecosystem changes, infectious disease patterns, vector behavior, and extreme weather events.
Professor Leder emphasized that climate-related factors often occur simultaneously and can compound one another’s effects on health. As she explained, “When you think about the different elements of climate, they’re actually all happening at the same time. So the impacts on health are multiplied, they aggravate and amplify each other.”
The discussion addressed links between climate change and infectious diseases, including dengue, which is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Changes in temperature and environmental conditions can influence vector breeding patterns, while floods, droughts, and fires may also increase health risks, including respiratory problems associated with declining air quality.
Professor Leder highlighted the importance of mitigation and adaptation, alongside further research into the relationships between climate and health, urbanization, food systems, and infectious diseases. She also underscored the need to develop health systems that are resilient to climate change.
Echoing the importance of collaboration, the Dean of the Faculty of Public Health at Hasanuddin University stated that “complex environmental problems require interdisciplinary collaboration.”
The event supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Climate Action by strengthening understanding of climate-related impacts and adaptation, and SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being by highlighting the risks climate change poses to human health. Through this guest lecture, the Department of Epidemiology encourages evidence-based research and interdisciplinary collaboration to address climate change while protecting public health.
