Climate Ready Classrooms: Public Health Faculty Development Course on Climate Change

This session explores strategies for integrating climate change into public health curricula, focusing on skill development and action-oriented learning. Using Bloom’s Taxonomy as a framework, participants will learn how to design curricula that foster critical thinking and applied knowledge. Case studies will highlight different implementation models, from standalone electives to fully integrated mandatory courses. Additionally, the sessions will showcase how academic institutions can enhance student learning by partnering with local health centers and government agencies to translate knowledge into real-world practice.

• Lecture: Principles of curriculum design for climate and health education

• Case Study 1: Integrating climate change into public health curricula – a step-by-step implementation example

• Case Study 2: Bridging theory and practice – aligning student learning objectives with real-world application

Learning Objectives

• Explain the key challenges and opportunities in integrating climate change into public health education.

• Apply Bloom’s Taxonomy to design an action-oriented curriculum that equips students with the skills to address climate-related health challenges.

• Evaluate different curricular models for teaching climate change in public health programs, including elective courses and full integration.

• Identify strategies for fostering partnerships with local health centers and government agencies to provide experiential learning opportunities.

This session is designed to equip faculty with the knowledge and tools needed to teach public health students about the foundational science of climate change and its implications for health. Faculty will gain a clear understanding of the natural and human-induced drivers of climate change, with a focus on the greenhouse effect, its mechanisms, and how human activities—especially fossil fuel combustion—intensify this phenomenon. Participants will learn how to effectively teach the distinctions between mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, and how to contextualize these strategies in relation to regional climate impacts and health consequences. The session will also explore the demographic, economic, and technological drivers of environmental change, emphasizing how these forces disproportionately affect marginalized populations, including those facing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities. Finally, the session will prepare faculty to teach students about the health sector’s dual role—as both a contributor to climate change and a vital advocate for climate solutions—highlighting opportunities for leadership and systemic change in public health practice and policy.

• Lecture: Understanding Climate Change and Its Health Impacts – Insights from the Lancet Countdown and IPCC Projections

• Case Study 1: Climate Change as a Driver of Social and Environmental Inequalities

• Case Study 2: Disproportionate Vulnerabilities – How Climate Change Affects Marginalized Populations (Women, Outdoor and Rural Workers, Homeless Individuals, Older Adults, and People with Disabilities)

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the general mechanism of the greenhouse effect and describe how human activities, mainly combustion of fossil fuels, are exacerbating this natural phenomenon. 

• Analyze key demographic, economic, and technological drivers that contribute to climate change and environmental degradation.

• Identify the key impacts of climate change on health in the region.

• Distinguish between climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience.

• Identify the major health impacts of climate change including regional-specific challenges like floods, droughts, hurricane, sea level rise and shifting disease patterns.

• Examine how climate change disproportionately affects socioeconomically, racially, and ethnically marginalized communities.

Description:  This session explores rising temperatures and the growing threat of extreme heat events. It covers heat-sensitive health conditions and their impacts on cardiovascular, renal, respiratory, neurologic, mental health, and maternal health. Faculties will examine adaptation strategies for individuals and communities, focusing on integrating these measures into the health promotion curriculum. Case studies will highlight methods to identify high-risk geographic areas and vulnerable populations, as well as cooling solutions, including nature-based approaches. The session will also emphasize the role of heat early warning systems and other preventive measures in reducing health risks. Through lecture and case studies, faculty will gain the knowledge and skills to prepare students to recognize, address, and prevent heat-related health impacts in communities.

• Lecture: Health Impacts of Extreme Heat and Vulnerable Populations

• Case Study 1: Heat Risk Assessment and Early Warning Systems

• Case Study 2: Public Health Campaigns for Heat Awareness and Prevention (individual recommendation, school recommendations, sports and physical activity etc.)

• Case Study 3: Urban Interventions to Mitigate Heat and Protect Health

Learning Objectives:

• Identify current and projected changes to temperature and risks of extreme heat events.

• Identify populations vulnerable to heat exposure, including outdoor workers, agricultural laborers, individuals experiencing homelessness, marginalized communities, older adults, pregnant individuals, and children.

• Define “heat-sensitive” health conditions, including cardiovascular, renal, respiratory, neurologic, and maternal diseases and pregnancy outcomes.

• Explore the role of heat early warning systems and other measures in preventing negative health outcomes.

• Examine cooling strategies, including nature-based solutions, and their effectiveness in mitigating heat-related health risks at the community level.

• Evaluate city-level interventions aimed at heat mitigation, such as urban greening, cooling centers, and heat-resilient infrastructure.

Description: This session will provide a comprehensive exploration of the pathways through which climate change affects air quality including changes to ozone, PM2.5, toxic smog, and other respiratory irritant. It will also explore the effects of changing weather on the occurrence of wildfires and stubble burning. Faculties will learn how these pollutants impact populations vulnerable to degraded air quality, considering factors such as socioeconomic status, geographic location, and pre-existing health conditions. Faculties will gain insights on how to teach their students to identify public health measures to protect vulnerable populations and explore strategies for community-based interventions.  Furthermore, the session will delve into the near-term health co-benefits of climate mitigation efforts, including improved air quality, at the individual, local, and global scales. Through interactive discussions and case studies, participants will gain insights into examples of successful mitigation strategies, highlighting the potential for positive health outcomes associated with climate action.

• Lecture: How climate change and its drivers worsen air pollution and disproportionately impact vulnerable groups

• Case Study 1: Individual protective measures and city alert systems to reduce air pollution exposure and health risks

• Case Study 2: Urban strategies for air pollution reduction – nature-based solutions, public transportation, and policy interventions - collaborations with other sectors.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how climate change exacerbates air pollution, including its effects on ozone levels, PM2.5, toxic smog, and respiratory irritants, as well as the role of temperature in wildfires and stubble burning.

• Describe the health impacts of air pollution on climate-sensitive diseases, such as asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular conditions, pregnancy outcomes, and allergic diseases. 

• Identify populations vulnerable to degraded air quality, considering factors like socioeconomic status, geographic location, and pre-existing health conditions. 

• Evaluate public health strategies to reduce air pollution exposure, including individual protective measures, early warning systems, and risk communication for limiting outdoor activities on poor air quality days.

• Examine city-level and regional interventions to mitigate air pollution, including nature-based solutions, public transportation policies, and cross-border and cross-sector cooperation on risk reduction. 

• Analyze the near-term health co-benefits of climate mitigation efforts, such as improved air quality and reduced respiratory disease burden, at local, national, and transboundary levels. 

Description: This session provides a comprehensive exploration of the environmental processes changing as a result of climate change and their impact on the prevalence, incidence, and distribution of vector-borne diseases including Malaria, Dengue fever, Chikungunya, and Zika.  Through case studies faculties will explore actionable steps that health professionals can take to identify and protect vulnerable communities to these diseases through targeted interventions, including technologies, and community-based, interdisciplinary approaches to disease prevention and control in a changing climate.

• Lecture: Exploring how climate change alters environmental conditions, expanding vector distribution to new areas, and the role of surveillance in monitoring and controlling disease spread.

• Case Study 1: Examining the use of technology and targeted interventions (such as Wolbachia and vaccination) to control vector populations and prevent disease outbreaks.

• Case Study 2: Surveillance systems  and public health campaigns for vector control, risk communication, and symptom awareness, with a focus on reaching remote and vulnerable populations

• Case Study 3: Early warning systems for vector borne diseases.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the environmental processes changing as a result of climate change and how they impact the prevalence, incidence, and distribution of vector-borne disease.

• For the following diseases, describe how climate change is influencing their distribution: Dengue fever, Chikungunya, Zika, Malaria. Effects of deforestation/bushfires/climate change bringing forest habitat in closer proximity to humans. 

• Explore what actions public health professionals can take to identify and protect vulnerable communities to these diseases.

• Define steps the health sector can take to become prepared to address shifting geographic burdens of vector-borne diseases, including increasing surveillance and early-warning systems and broader interdisciplinary coordination.

Description: This session explores the growing risks of extreme weather events—such as cyclones, typhoons, glacier melting, inland and coastal flooding— and the ways their increasing frequency and intensity are increasing the prevalence of water illnesses. Faculties will examine how climate change disrupts the hydrosphere, altering water availability, quality, and supply, and increasing the prevalence of waterborne pathogens.

Faculties will be able to identify short- and long-term health threats faced by vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children, marginalized communities, and those with pre-existing conditions. The session will highlight the roles of public health professionals on disaster risk reduction, early warning systems development and interpretation, public health communication, and regional cooperation to mitigate these impacts. Case studies and discussions will provide practical strategies for faculties to teach health professionals to respond effectively and advocate for adaptation measures that reduce health risks.

• Lecture: Explore how climate change affects the hydrosphere, leading to more frequent and intense extreme weather events and the implications of these changes for public health, infrastructure, and emergency preparedness.

• Case Study 1: Example of strategies for flood preparedness at individual, community, and city levels. Effective public health communication approaches to educate and protect populations.

• Case Study 2: Post-flood health response, public health strategies for preventing and controlling waterborne and vector-borne diseases. Mental health support and community recovery efforts following disasters.

• Case Study 3: Successful multi-sectoral collaboration, examples of effective interventions that reduced flood impacts.City interventions to mitigate flood risks and enhance resilience.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how climate change intensifies extreme weather events (cyclones, typhoons, glacier melting, and flooding) and disrupts the hydrological cycle, affecting water availability and quality. 

• Identify short- and long-term health risks from extreme weather events, water scarcity, and water contamination, and outline health professionals' roles in reducing these risks.

• Understand how biological, social, economic, and structural factors can heighten vulnerability to extreme weather hazards and waterborne diseases.

• Identify the role of public health professionals and strategies for disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, public health communication, and regional cooperation in preventing health impacts and minimizing forced migration. 

• Apply knowledge of climate impacts on waterborne pathogens—including  Leptospirosis, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, Norovirus, and Vibrio cholerae—to improve disease prevention and response strategies. 

Description: This session examines the critical connections between droughts, water security, and food security, all of which are increasingly threatened by climate change. Faculties will explore how shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns disrupt agricultural productivity, deplete water resources, and compromise public health. The session will also introduce forecasting tools that use climate models to predict droughts, food and water insecurity, identify vulnerable regions, and support proactive public health interventions. Through case studies and discussions, faculties will explore strategies and tools to teach how to strengthen food and water security, including drought-resistant, heat-resistant, and salt-tolerant crops, sustainable agricultural practices, water conservation techniques, and infrastructure improvements. The session will highlight the role of public health professionals in building resilience, advocating for policy solutions, and implementing community-based adaptation strategies.

• Lecture: The impact of climate change on droughts, food security, and water availability, public health risks associated with water scarcity and malnutrition

• Case Study 1: Using climate models to predict droughts and food insecurity to enable timely interventions.

• Case study 2: Example of strategies for reducing water waste and improving water efficiency in landscapes, urban planning, and infrastructure.

• Case study 3: Example of how to identifying alternative water supplies, creating drought emergency plans, and supporting farmers in adopting drought-resistant crops.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how extremes of temperature, droughts and precipitation are affecting food security and nutrition. 

• Evaluate the associated risks, such as the potential for increased reliance on agrochemicals and the expansion of farmland through deforestation, and their implications for environmental health and human well-being.

• Explain how climate change affects all four dimensions of food security: availability, stability, access, and utilization. 

• Explore mechanism for forecasting food insecurity using climate models

• Explore strategies to enhance food security in the context of a changing climate, focusing on sustainable practices that increase agricultural resilience.

• Describe the relationship between agriculture (food, animal, plant) and GHG emissions, and the co-benefits of improved diets for mitigating climate change and addressing malnutrition.

Description: This session will focus on building resilience and adaptability within health systems to address the challenges posed by climate change. Faculties will learn about the necessary steps and data to run climate and health vulnerability assessments and how they are used to identify risks and adaptive capacities at individual, community, and health system levels, with particular attention to the unique challenges faced by small and remote health systems. The session will discuss the necessary collaboration among sectors and stakeholders to develop a V&A assessment and will showcase how these can inform changes in policies. Moreover, the session will emphasize the need for inter-agency collaboration in integrated surveillance to improve public health preparedness and response to climate-related health threats.

• Lecture: Overview of the V&A method, key steps, and data needed to identify climate-related health risks and guide adaptation planning.

• Case Study 1:Example of how V&A was used to pinpoint at-risk populations, actions taken, and results.

• Case Study 2:How V&A findings were applied to shape health policies and adaptation plans.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how vulnerability and adaptation assessments are used to understand individual, community and health system impacts and vulnerabilities, and utilizing knowledge of vulnerability and adaptive capacity to explore challenges faced by small and remote health systems.

• Identify how the risks and vulnerabilities to critical healthcare infrastructure and delivery.

• Explore the comprehensive scope of climate and health surveillance including health and non-health sector sources, infectious and non-infectious diseases, mortality surveillance, and environmental indices.

• Explain /understand the importance of collaboration on information sharing across Departments, Ministries and Agencies to support integrated/joined-up surveillance, and its benefits to the individual agencies.

Description: This session will provide a comprehensive understanding of how climate change impacts health systems and health service delivery, focusing on evaluating and mitigating risks to healthcare infrastructure, service provision, and supply chains during extreme weather events and other climate-related disruptions. Faculty will explore strategies to prepare future public health professionals to ensure equitable access to healthcare services in a climate-altered world and during climate-driven crises. The session will emphasize the critical role of integrating climate data into health system planning to enhance resilience and preparedness. Participants will also examine innovative solutions, such as smart hospitals and telemedicine, that strengthen health service delivery in the face of climate change.

• Lecture-  Introduction to the principles and components of resilient health systems, including governance, service delivery, health workforce, infrastructure, and financing in the context of climate change. 

• Case study 1 - A practical example of how a health system responded to climate-related challenges, highlighting lessons that can be applied in other contexts (such as after  floodings or hurricane).Such as an example of emergency plan and the use of telemedicine

• Case study 2 -  Smart Hospitals – Exploration of climate-smart hospitals that use technology and sustainable practices to maintain service delivery during extreme weather events and reduce their environmental impact.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the challenges and opportunities for ensuring equitable access to healthcare during climate-related disruptions such as extreme weather events and the long-term impacts of climate change, while maintaining the quality of care for vulnerable populations.

• Identify the risks and vulnerabilities to critical healthcare infrastructure, delivery, and supply chains from extreme weather events and other climate impacts can be inventoried.

• Identify ways to improve the resilience of healthcare facilities in the face of increasingly severe and frequent climate-related weather events. 

• Identify ways in which health care facilities can become more resilient in the face of increasingly severe and/or frequent climate-related weather extremes by employing the Smart Hospital program.

• Use emergency planning skills to plan for and respond to climate-related extreme weather events and disasters, including workforce surge needs and disruption of infrastructure critical to maintaining access to healthcare and emergency services, and distinguish the roles of and interactions between agencies involved in emergency care.

• Describe the role of health professionals in advancing climate-smart healthcare practices to improve health outcomes while contributing to environmental sustainability goals.

Description: This session will explore the challenges and opportunities for delivering sustainable health services in the context of a changing climate. The session will highlight strategies for integrating decarbonization and sustainability into health service, including the adoption of energy-efficient technologies, reducing healthcare-related carbon footprints, and enhancing resource efficiency.In addition, the session will highlight how efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions not only address climate change but also improve public health outcomes and reduce healthcare expenditures.  By addressing the dual goals of improving health outcomes and promoting environmental sustainability, this session aims to prepare health professionals to deliver resilient and climate-smart healthcare services. 

• Lecture: explores the healthcare sector's contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and its responsibilities in addressing climate change. Introduce key strategies and frameworks for decarbonizing health systems while improving health outcomes.

• Case Study 1: Example of how investments in clean and active transportation reduce emissions and improve public health. Emphasizing cross-sector collaboration and integrated planning.

• Case Study 2: Example of the health benefits of urban green spaces, including reduced air pollution, increased physical activity, and improved mental health. Emphasizing cross-sector collaboration and integrated planning.

• Case Study 3:Demonstrates how climate-smart interventions can reduce long-term healthcare costs and improve health system efficiency.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the role of health systems and health professionals  in promoting both health outcomes and environmental sustainability and how the dual goals can contribute to more resilient healthcare delivery in the context of climate change. 

• Address the role of health systems in climate mitigation through optimisation of healthcare services and delivery; this spans the different components of health infrastructure, resource utilisation and strengthening the health workforce,besides facilitating inter-sectoral coordination for developing climate resilience and environmentally friendly healthcare facilities. 

• Explain the concept of sustainability in healthcare and identify strategies for integrating environmental sustainability into health service delivery, including energy-efficient technologies and reducing healthcare-related carbon footprints. 

• Identify and describe the health co-benefits associated with climate change mitigation strategies, including improved air quality and reduced incidence of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

• Explain /understand the importance of inter-ministerial collaboration for integrated health considerations into climate mitigation plans, including strategies for promoting co-benefits and monitoring health outcomes.

This session will prepare faculty to teach public health students how to communicate climate-related health risks effectively and engage diverse communities. It will highlight the role of health professionals as trusted messengers and explore strategies for tailoring messages, addressing accessibility barriers, and promoting healthy behaviors. Faculty will also learn to integrate behavioral change theories, consider cultural and political contexts, and foster collaboration with sectors such as meteorology and the environment. Emphasis will be placed on incorporating community feedback to ensure inclusive and impactful communication.

• Lecture: Overview of key principles for communicating climate-related health risks, including crafting clear, evidence-based messages, tailoring communication to diverse audiences, addressing misinformation and disinformation, and promoting public engagement.

• Case Study 1: Using Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) surveys to assess community awareness of climate-health risks and inform targeted education and policy efforts.

• Case Study 2:  Hurricane preparedness communication—exploring effective messaging, early warning systems, and outreach strategies to reduce health risks before disasters.

• Case Study 3:  Wildfire response communication—analyzing public health strategies for issuing health advisories, managing air quality concerns, and reaching vulnerable groups.

Learning objectives: 

• Explain the role of health professionals in climate communication. Articulate the importance of health professionals as trusted messengers in climate and health discourse and their role in shaping public understanding and policy responses 

• Explore the connection between climate change awareness and ecological anxiety, and use this understanding to empower individuals and communities to make climate-conscious changes.

• Explain how to design effective communication strategies that consider diverse audiences, cultural and political contexts, and behavioral change theories to enhance public engagement and action. 

• Explain how to apply effective communication skills with stakeholders about climate and health topics by defining the target audience, listening, and developing audience-appropriate messaging

• Communicate and share information and responsibility effectively at different organizational levels to gain political commitment, policy support, and social acceptance for climate action. 

• Assess the effectiveness of climate and health communication efforts by gathering community feedback and identifying barriers to accessibility, ensuring continuous improvement and greater public impact.