Indoor mould and population health: Estimating the costs

Mould exposure in Australian buildings remains a persistent and large-scale problem. Approximately one-third of Australian homes have some level of mould, which reduces indoor air quality. This leads to a substantial but unquantified population health burden from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and infections, with associated costs to healthcare and productivity losses.

To provide evidence of the scale of the problem, we have estimated the population health burden, healthcare costs, productivity losses, and socio-economic gradient related to indoor mould exposure. It is clear from our research that health gains from eradicating indoor exposure to mould are sizeable, and on par with recognised preventive interventions currently in place (e.g., volumetric alcohol tax rate). We conclude that interventions to mitigate exposure are likely to be cost effective.

About Rebecca

Prof Rebecca Bentley (BBSc (Hons) PhD) is a Social Epidemiologist based at the University of Melbourne, She is Director of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence in Healthy Housing and lead of the Victorian Community of Practice of the NHMRC Healthy Environments and Lives Network.

Rebecca is an internationally recognised researcher working at the intersection of housing, the built environment, health, and epidemiology. Her work has culminated in the establishment of Australia’s first healthy housing-focused research centre to develop new methods and conceptual approaches to reduce Australia’s burden of disease attributed to unhealthy housing.