Healthcare workers of all types are highly respected in their communities and well-positioned to inform public opinion, but many are under-informed about the health impacts of climate change. They do not usually broach these issues with patients, even when directly relevant to the presenting problem, and most do not advocate at the community level. However, healthcare workers are ideal messengers to share factual concerns along with hope-based and helpful guidance that supports tangible individual and community actions.
In its next Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) educational series, Dartmouth Health seeks to educate healthcare providers and the public at large to advocate effectively and appropriately to reduce the effects of climate change on health. “Climate and Health: Towards Climate-Informed Care & Advocacy” will meet virtually for six sessions and registration is free of charge.
Planned sessions for this ECHO include:
- April 27: Planetary Health and the Science of Climate Change
- May 11: Extreme Weather Events: Patterns, Preparation, Responses
- May 25: Evolving Ecosystem Impacts on Vector-Borne and other Diseases
- June 8: Health Impacts of Air Pollution
- June 22: Connecting Earth, Body, Mind and Spirit
- July 6: Open session, topic TBD
“We are already witnessing serious impacts of climate change on the health of individuals and communities in New Hampshire with increases in tick and mosquito borne diseases, increasing heat-related illness, episodic trauma related to extreme weather events, pulmonary and cardiovascular effects of climate-related air pollution, and escalating climate anxiety particularly among youth,” said Seddon R. Savage, MD, MS, FASAM, education director of Dartmouth Health’s Project ECHO program. “These and other health impacts are expected to grow rapidly if we are unable to mitigate climate change. Our ECHO course aims to prepare all healthcare workers, and others with interest, to take active roles to reduce the health impacts of climate change.”
To register for this Project ECHO series, click here.
Project ECHO is a program of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.
Original source can be found here.
