Field Epi Response to the Climate and Health Crisis
April webinar details forthcoming!
About
The World Health Organization has identified climate change as “the single biggest health threat facing humanity,” resulting in a myriad of adverse effects on human health and global health systems. As temperatures rise around the globe, the world is seeing an increase in climate-related events that result not only in infrastructure and environmental damage, but also outbreaks of communicable and noncommunicable diseases across immediate and long-term time-scales.
These realities call for more health professionals trained in detecting and responding to climate-related health threats. TEPHINET, in partnership with the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education, the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), the UK Health Security Agency, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently formed a working group to improve training and awareness on climate and health for field epidemiologists to address this need. The TEPHINET Climate and Health Working Group aims to sensitize Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETPs), and FETP residents and graduates, to issues surrounding climate and health, increase awareness of available climate and health training and resources, and eventually integrate climate and health into the FETP curriculum and core competencies.
To learn more about the working group and this initiative, check out this video:
The quarterly sessions will feature presentations from climate health experts, and FETP trainees and alumni who have worked on climate-related topics including heat related illness, hurricanes, floods, air pollution, and more.
Previous Sessions
Climate & Health Case Studies - January 24, 2024
Climate & Health Case Studies - January 24, 2024
The WHO has identified climate change as "the single biggest health threat facing humanity," necessitating increased training for field epi professionals to detect and respond to climate-related health threats. This session will host presentations from expert speakers from Canada and Colombia, to discuss and share case studies currently being used to train FETP residents in analyzing and addressing the health impacts of climate change.
Maternal & Child Health - July 26, 2023
Maternal & Child Health - July 26, 2023
Globally, maternal and child health outcomes are significantly impacted both directly and indirectly by climate change. The presence of climate-related stressors can result in negative health effects, such as miscarriages, low birth weights, malnutrition, and respiratory illnesses. Furthermore, climate emergencies can hinder access to crucial sexual and reproductive health services.
Join us to learn about the impact of climate change on maternal and child health and how FETPs can respond to meet the needs of this population.
Forced Migration - March 22, 2023
Forced Migration - March 22, 2023
The world currently faces a global forced migration crisis of unprecedented proportion. Over the coming decades, climate change will move from exacerbating the causes of migration to becoming a direct cause itself. Beyond taking action to prevent climate change, the field epidemiology community must prepare to meet the humanitarian and long-term needs of a growing population of forcibly displaced communities for whom returning home is not an option.
Join us to learn about the impact of climate change on forced migration and how FETPs can respond.
Flooding - Nov. 30, 2022
Session VII: Flooding - November 30, 2022
A growing number of communities are finding themselves underwater. Extreme weather, sea level rise, and other climate change impacts are increasingly to blame, and many regions around the globe are experiencing worsening impacts.
Session 7 of our webinar series, Field Epi Response to the Climate and Health Crisis, focuses on the health impacts of flooding, featuring presentations from the Pakistan Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP) and Brazil FETP.
Air Pollution - Oct. 26, 2022
Session VI: Air Pollution - October 26, 2022
Air pollution is not only fueling the climate crisis but is now the world’s fourth-largest risk factor for early death. According to the research, exposure to fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, from burning fossil fuels was responsible for about 8.7 million deaths globally in 2018.
In this session of "Field Epi Response to the Climate and Health Crisis", experts on air pollution discuss the public health implications and impact of air pollution, and how FETPs can apply their knowledge and skills to respond to related health threats.
Vector-Borne Disease - Sept. 28, 2022
Session V: VECTOR-BORNE DISEASE - September 28, 2022
The fifth installment of the TEPHINET Climate and Health Working Group's webinar series, "Field Epi Response to the Climate and Health Crisis", features presentations from public health professionals and FETP residents and alumni on the impact of climate change on vector-borne diseases. Speakers include alumni and affiliates of the Costa Rica and Malawi FETPs, and the National Institute of Health, Mozambique.
Hurricanes and Cyclones - Aug. 24, 2022
Session IV: Hurricanes and Cyclones - Wednesday, August 24, 2022
VIDEO RECORDING COMING SOON!
Wildfires - Jul. 27, 2022
Session III: Wildfires - July 27, 2022
Exposures to harmful air pollutants, due to the burning of fossil fuels and climate-driven wildfires, have wide-reaching impacts on human health. In this ePanel, Climate Change, Air Quality and Lung Health, experts explore how climate change is degrading air quality worldwide, exacerbating risks of lung diseases from asthma to lung cancer and fibrosis.
The discussion covers cutting-edge research spanning epigenetic and cellular responses to epidemiologic studies, from the individual patient to community level. We examine the topic from many angles, gaining perspectives from clinicians, researchers, educators, and public health policy leaders to holistically assess these challenges and identify solutions. The event informs the scientific community about impacts and inequities, while encouraging audiences to take action and get involved in the field to change the trajectory of the impending climate health crisis.
Heat Exposure - Jun. 22, 2022
SESSION II: Heat Exposure - June 22, 2022
Globally, extreme temperature events are observed to be increasing in their frequency, duration, and magnitude because of climate change, causing widespread excessive morbidity and mortality. Exposure to excessive heat has wide ranging physiological impacts for all humans, often amplifying existing conditions and resulting in premature death and disability. The negative health impacts of heat are predictable and largely preventable with specific public health actions. Mobilization of the FETP community to prevent and respond to this emerging exposure is critical.
Introductory Session - May 25, 2022
Introductory Session - May 25, 2022
The inaugural session of a monthly webinar series will host presentations from expert speakers across the globe, to discuss emerging regional climate-related health challenges and how the FETP community can respond.