Fevers, rashes and three months of illness: the health risks facing a growing Sydney

Emma Guiney lay in a hospital bed, crying as the rash throbbed. Days earlier, she developed a headache and flu-like symptoms while in Thailand. Thinking it was a hangover, she soldiered on.

It's just one of the health challenges we'll face. The city’s population will swell to more than 5.8 million, a million of them over the age of 65. Chronic diseases such as diabetes will become more common and drug-resistant superbugs will rise.A warming climate carries the risk of more temperature-related deaths, especially among the young and elderly.We could see an increase in mosquito-borne diseases as warm seasons extend and draw insects from regions to our north.

Obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes prevalence will grow in the next decade. The chief executive of Diabetes NSW and ACT, Sturt Eastwood, says that, unless the health system evolves to better manage chronic diseases, they "are going to absolutely swamp it".Credit:The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates that, by 2030, 550,000 people nationally will have dementia, an increase of 46 per cent since 2018.

Hospital bed availability will be a major challenge despite increased capacity. The 2019 Australian Infrastructure audit concluded that population growth is outpacing hospital bed availability nationally.Admissions to hospital in NSW are likely to increase by about 20 per cent for men and 19 per cent for women between 2015 and 2028, placing significant pressure on bed capacity.

"We don’t have a choice," he says. "If we don’t, we’re not going to be able to manage the expectations people have of the health system. People rightly expect that in Australia and NSW, they will have access to a world-class healthcare system."The healthcare system will become smarter, with an increase in wearable devices, remote video consultations with doctors and closer links among the health industry, researchers and practitioners.

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