ANARE Health Register

The principal aims of the project are to: - quantify the occurrence of ill health in Antarctic personnel. - compare the incidence rates with those in the domestic population. - assess any trends in health events. - identify high risk groups, in order to modify conditions accordingly. - assess the role of pre-existing health conditions. - examine the causes of injury. - quantify the procedures performed and drugs administered.

The results of all medical consultations are coded according to the International Classification of Diseases and analysed on both a monthly and an annual basis in order to assess any emerging trends. In addition to serving as a long-term data base for epidemiological studies, the Health Register is proving to be a useful tool in the day-to-day operations of the Polar Medicine Branch of the Australian Antarctic Division.