The Eastern Mediterranean Climate and Health Responders Course

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Description: This session will cover the greenhouse effect, explaining its mechanism and how human activities, especially fossil fuel combustion, intensify this natural phenomenon. We will differentiate between climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. The session will also address the impacts of climate change on the region and provide a snapshot of some countries, focusing on issues like glacier melting and its impacts on health. We will explore the health impacts of climate change, the health sector's role in contributing to and combating climate change. Finally, the session will explore how climate change disproportionately impacts socioeconomically, racially, and ethnically marginalized communities in the Eastern Mediterranean, leading to disparate health outcomes and the urgency of trans-sectoral solutions in addressing these challenges. 

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Description: This session will provide a comprehensive exploration of the pathways through which climate change affects air quality in the Eastern Mediterranean including changes to ozone, PM10 and PM2.5, toxic smog, and other respiratory irritants. It will also explore the effects of changing weather on the occurrence of wildfires and stubble burning. Participants 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. Participants will gain insights into 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.

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Description:  This session focuses on current and projected changes to temperature and the increasing risks of extreme heat events in the Eastern Mediterranean. We will delve into the concept of "heat-sensitive" health conditions and explore how heat impacts the pathophysiology of various diseases, including cardiovascular, renal, respiratory, neurologic, mental health, and maternal conditions, while identifying medical diagnoses and other health determinants that render patients more vulnerable to heat-related illness. We will explore the role of heat early warning systems and other preventive measures in averting negative health outcomes, emphasizing the importance of proactive strategies in mitigating heat-related health risks. Through interactive discussions and case studies this session aims to equip health professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize, address, and prevent the health impacts of extreme heat events in communities.

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Description: This session examines how climate extremes, including temperature changes, droughts, and shifting precipitation patterns, threaten agricultural productivity and food security in the Eastern Mediterranean. Participants will explore tools for forecasting food insecurity using climate models, identify vulnerable regions, and discuss strategies to enhance resilience. Case studies will highlight sustainable agricultural practices, drought-, heat-, and salt-resistant crops, and community-based adaptation initiatives, with attention to environmental health and public health implications.

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Description: This session focuses on the impacts of climate change on water security in the Eastern Mediterranean. Participants will examine how rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and droughts threaten freshwater availability, water quality, and distribution. The session will also explore strategies for water conservation, efficient irrigation, and community-based adaptation to safeguard public health. The session will also analyze how water crises disrupt health systems and essential WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) infrastructure, affecting infection control, healthcare delivery, and community health outcomes.

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Description: This session explores the growing risks of extreme weather events—such as cyclones, typhoons, inland and coastal flooding—alongside the increasing threats of water illnesses due to climate change. Participants will examine how climate change disrupts the hydrosphere, altering water availability, quality, and supply, and increasing the prevalence of waterborne pathogens.

We will discuss 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 disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, public health communication, and regional cooperation in mitigating these impacts. Case studies and discussions will provide practical strategies for health professionals to respond effectively and advocate for adaptation measures that reduce health risks.

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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 common vector-borne diseases  Through case studies we will explore actionable steps that health professionals can take to identify and protect at risk communities to these diseases through targeted interventions, including early warning systems, and community-based, interdisciplinary approaches to disease prevention and control in a changing climate.

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Description: This session examines the climate–health–mobility nexus in the Eastern Mediterranean, focusing on how slow-onset hazards (e.g., drought, water scarcity, land degradation) and rapid-onset events (e.g., floods, storms, heatwaves) shape patterns of displacement, migration, and protracted crisis, and the resulting impacts on health risks, service access, and system readiness. Using regional examples, participants will analyze how migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and returnees face disproportionate burdens from communicable diseases, heat and occupational exposures, under-nutrition, mental health stressors, and disrupted continuity of essential services; and how legal, financial, and social barriers limit access to care. The session highlights practical approaches for migrant-inclusive, risk-informed, climate-resilient health systems: integrating mobility and climate data into surveillance and early warning, embedding inclusive service delivery in national adaptation and DRR policies, and strengthening whole-of-government/society coordination across health, migration, and disaster risk actors.

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Description: This session delves into the profound impact of climate change on the incidence and prevalence of stress disorders, depression, anxiety, suicide, domestic abuse, violence, aggression, and substance abuse as a consequence of fast and slow onset climate-related disasters. Through case studies and discussions, participants will gain insights into the complex interplay between environmental stressors and mental health outcomes. We will also examine the specific mental health challenges faced by "climate refugees" or individuals displaced from their homes or livelihoods due to climate-related environmental changes such as drought, sea-level rise, wildfires, with a focus on recent examples from the Eastern Mediterranean.  Through interactive discussions and case studies, we will explore the role of resilience-building interventions, community-based support systems, and mental health services in promoting psychological well-being in the face of environmental challenges.

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Description: This session examines how climate change challenges the functioning, sustainability, and resilience of health systems. Participants will explore how vulnerability and adaptation assessments can identify risks and capacities at individual, community, and system levels, and how health systems can prepare for and respond to climate-related disruptions, including damage to infrastructure, supply chains, and essential services. The session will also discuss strategies to integrate environmental sustainability into healthcare delivery—through energy-efficient technologies, resource optimization, and low-carbon health operations—to ensure continuity of care and equitable access during extreme events. Case studies will illustrate approaches for strengthening preparedness, inter-agency collaboration, and the transition toward climate-smart, sustainable healthcare systems.

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Description: This session will explore the role of public health professionals and the wider health workforce in climate-health activism and engagement. The course will focus on different ways of communicating to a variety of audiences (community to organizational) to gain political commitment, policy support and social acceptance for climate action. Case studies will be used to highlight effective climate and health messages (including health co-benefits) and provide a range of opportunities for learners to get involved.