BACKGROUND
Environmental risks to health are responsible for about one-quarter of the global disease burden. Decision-makers need to be aware of the most important environmental exposures, exposure-disease links and available options and solutions for creating a healthier environment. Environmental health is an integral part of disease prevention. This course provides an introduction to environmental health, covering key facts, figures and available interventions on the most important environmental risks including climate change, air pollution, water, sanitation and hygiene, chemicals and others.
This specialized module introduces the theme of climate change and human health. Human health is directly affected by the weather, climate variability and climate change. The module will explain how mitigation and adaptation policies and measures in health and related sectors can benefit human health.
Moreover, the module presents tools to assess and integrate health within climate change policies and strategies and vice versa. Several examples of how countries are responding to the health challenges posed by climate change, including taking advantage of the opportunities, are presented.
TARGET GROUPS
The module provides clear, concise and up-to-date information for anybody interested in obtaining a general understanding of the health risks arising from climate change and strategies to address them. It should be of particular interest to the following audiences:
- Civil servants in national ministries, provincial departments and local authorities working in the health and other sectors relevant to the health dimensions of climate change;
- Managers in private sector and civil society organizations active in the area of climate change and/or health;
- Health professionals wishing to improve their understanding of the risks of climate change to health;
- Faculty, researchers and students; and
- Interested citizens/youth/students.
COURSE STRUCTURE
This specialized module has three sections:
- Adaptation: Building Health Systems’ Resilience to Climate Change
- The Mutual Benefits of Climate Change Mitigation and Health Policies
- Climate Change and Human Health
- Air pollution, WASH and climate change
- Chemicals, radiation, solid waste
- Biodiversity, noise, food and physical activity
- Priority settings for action in ECH
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing this specialized module, participants will be able to:
- Explain how weather, climate variability and climate change can affect human health.
- Describe the health benefits of mitigation and adaptation policies and measures in health and related sectors.
- Identify a variety of tools to assess and integrate health within climate change policies and strategies, and integrate climate change within health policies and strategies.
- Provide examples of how countries are responding to the health challenges posed by climate change, including taking advantage of the opportunities.
This training can also be customized for your institution upon request. You can also have it delivered to your preferred location.
REQUIREMENTS
- Participants should be reasonably proficient in English. During the training, participants should come with their laptops.
TRAINING FEE
- Kenyans: USD 1000.
- Non-Kenyans: USD 3000
- The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, lunch, and study visits.
ACCOMMODATION
- Accommodation is arranged upon request.