SYDNEY, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A number of Australian universities said on Monday that they will join a global initiative which tracks the link between health and climate change.

First published in October 2017, the Lancet Countdown report measures 40 indicators related to climate change including change impacts, adaptation planning, mitigation actions, economic costs and public and political engagement.

"A group of Australian academics and researchers will collect data from different sources including policy analysis, renewable energy programs, health impacts and disease data," senior lecturer at the University of Sydney's School of Public Health Zhang Ying told Xinhua.

"Australia is one of the top countries for carbon emissions per capita and we really want to track the progress of what we have done in terms of health, protection, policy and environmental management," Zhang said.

"But most importantly we need to know where the gaps are to make improvements for the future."

Hoping to raise awareness of health issues related to climate change among Australian medical professionals, the inaugural Australian report is planned for release in late 2018 and will be updated annually until at least the year 2030.