One Health and Climate Change
How does climate change impact the health of humans, animals, and the environment?
As the “biggest health threat facing humanity,” climate change is already changing people’s lives, as well as animal habitats and environments. In different countries and regions of the planet, surging health problems pose challenges to health care providers, policy makers, and governance. Such health challenges are linked to the decay of natural habitats and frequent occurrence of catastrophic weather events. Some examples of climate change-related health issues are the emergence of new pathogens and infectious diseases, heat exposure, respiratory problems, malnutrition and mental health issues. These are already affecting most global populations and will continue to do so in the future, calling for holistic forms of mitigation, control, and prevention on local, regional and global levels.
How can the One Health approach contribute to mitigating and preventing the health impacts of climate change?
The present course will introduce you to the connections between climate change and health through the One Health approach. The content material provides a framework to understand the basic mechanisms of climate change and the extent of its impacts on human and animal health, identifying the connection between planetary challenges and local threats. Role-playing exercises encourage the practice of thinking systemically, adopting holistic perspectives, and working with creativity and collaboration to find immediate and long-term solutions.
