Climate Change and Public Health

Course Details

  • Acronym ENV H 590 C
  • Instructor(s) Jeremy Johnson Hess
  • Quarter Spring 2022
  • Credits 3
  • Meeting Times MF 1:00 PM - 2:20 PM
  • Location HRC 145
  • Prerequisites ENVH/GH 418/518

Course Description

Climate change is impacting population health through a wide range of pathways and presenting novel challenges for public health practitioners. This course will use cases developed by the Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE) with the support of the University of Washington (UW) Office of Global Affairs and the Department of Global Health to explore current and anticipated practice challenges in a wide range of geographies, populations, and settings to develop the practical skills needed to support effective public health engagement. The class is designed to support practice development for both domestic and global health settings. Course material will introduce theoretical frameworks for climate resilient health systems and explore how to develop, tailor, and maintain essential public health services to address climate change. Class sessions will be organized around the World Health Organization (WHO) Operational Framework for Building Climate-resilient Health Systems. Topics will include evidence-based practice, organizational planning, scenario-based decision support, leadership development, surveillance, disaster preparedness, early warning systems, implementation science, and program evaluation. Through a series of cases, students will learn relevant theories and frameworks, develop skills in assessing health risks associated with a wide range of climate-sensitive hazards, identify potential risk reduction strategies, and explore implementation at scale. Cross-cutting topics and themes including relevant health metrics, vulnerability assessment, determinants of health, migration, community engagement, equity, the incorporation of climate and weather data into public health activities, policy, and communications will be woven throughout the course.