Climate Change Forces Rethink of Medical Curricula in Europe

Dengue, malaria, heat waves, bacteria-infested shellfish, and pollution-related respiratory issues were once the realm of tropical medicine and faraway climes. Now these issues are becoming increasingly relevant and common in Europe owing to the impact of climate change.

But despite the link between climate and health being one of the most significant public health challenges of our time, most European medical curricula do not systematically cover the subject. Training often depends on the personal expertise of faculty members or student-driven initiatives, leaving many future doctors underprepared to confront these challenges.

The newly launched European Network on Climate and Health Education (ENCHE) seeks to address this gap by offering a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to teaching medical students about climate change and sustainability.

Changing Climate = Changing Medical Needs

“The north of Europe is becoming warmer and wetter, the south of Europe is becoming warmer and drier, and Europe is now the fastest-warming continent in the world,” said Ana Rakovac, MD, consultant chemical pathologist and general (internal) medicine physician at Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin. Rakovac is also the chair of the advisory group on climate action at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. 

In its first 3 years, ENCHE aims to train at least 10,000 medical students across participating undergraduate medical universities with the latest scientific and educational resources to enable them to recognize, prevent, and treat current and future health consequences of climate change. It also aims to foster sustainable practices within healthcare systems, encouraging doctors to contribute to decarbonization of the sector.

Source: MEDspace