A survey by the International Federation of Medical Students Associations in 2020 found that only 15% of medical schools worldwide teach about climate change. That leaves many unprepared to address the impacts of climate change on health care — and how they could potentially be mitigated.
Climate change is already a fundamental threat to human health, according to the World Health Organization. And the impact isn’t just one way: The health sector is one of the biggest contributors to climate change.
“The health sector is quite, I would use the word ignorant, on the impacts of planetary damage on human health,” Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, executive director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health at Sunway University in Malaysia, told Devex.
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
