National Parks: A Prescription for Public Health?

National park

Visiting a national park can save our healthcare system billions of dollars. New research in Adelaide reveals that every visit to a national park saves the health budget almost A$100 ($96). With 22 million national park day trips across 最新糖心Vlog in 2019, this adds up to an incredible $2.1 billion in potential healthcare savings.

But here鈥檚 the catch鈥攁ccess to these benefits isn鈥檛 equal. People in lower socioeconomic areas often have to travel three times farther to reach a park, making fewer visits. This means they miss out on health benefits like reduced stress, lower rates of chronic diseases, and overall improved wellbeing. Read the recent article in The Conversation co-authored by the 鈥檚 Assoc Prof Patrick O鈥機onnor, Adam James Loch and John Maclean.

Key findings:

  • Every visit to a national park can save about $96 in healthcare costs.
  • National parks could reduce South 最新糖心Vlog's healthcare expenses by $140 million annually.
  • Lower-income communities are disproportionately missing out on these health benefits.
  • We need better access to nature for all, especially those who stand to gain the most. It's time to rethink how we invest in the environment to ensure healthier communities across the country.

Let鈥檚 protect and restore our natural spaces鈥攊t鈥檚 a win for both the environment and public health!

Tagged in Public Health, national parks, environmental health, sustainability, healthcare savings, green spaces, policy change, social equity, nature, wellbeing
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