July 21, 2025
July 21, 2025
This article was originally published by Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
Washington, D.C., 21 July 21 2025 – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is launching two new courses on climate change and health. Both courses are available on PAHO’s Virtual Campus for Public Health, they are free of charge and self-paced and, for the moment, only available in English.
The two courses are: Climate Change and Health Course for the Caribbean General Public, with 4 hours of duration; and the Climate Change and Health Course for Health Professionals, which lasts 6 hours.
The purpose of the first course is to increase public understanding of climate change and its health impacts in the Caribbean context, empower community members to protect their health from climate-related risks, enable informed participation in climate action and advocacy, and foster community resilience to the impacts of climate change.
The second course aims to equip health professionals with the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to understand the fundamental relationship between climate change and health, implement climate-resilient health practices, develop effective strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation in healthcare settings, and lead and advocate for climate action within their professional contexts.
Both courses have been developed with funds provided by the Green Climate Fund and EU CARIFORUM Climate Change and Health Project.
Climate change represents one of the greatest threats to global public health in the 21st century and the Caribbean region faces unique vulnerabilities due to these climate impacts, including rising sea levels, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, changes in disease patterns and threats to food and water security, among others.
These threats have direct and indirect effects on human health, requiring healthcare professionals to understand and address these emerging challenges. Similarly, understanding these challenges and their health implications is crucial for the resilience and adaptation of communities.
Both courses are aligned with PAHO’s Strategic Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 3 (Good health and well-being) and SDG 13 (Climate action). Both trainings also support PAHO’s commitment to strengthen the resilience of health systems to climate change and build capacity among health professionals to address climate-related health challenges in the Caribbean region.
In 2024, during the Directing Council of the organization, PAHO Member States approved the Policy for Strengthening Equity-Oriented Health Sector Action on Climate Change and Health.
This policy seeks to strengthen the action of the health sector, improve adaptation and mitigation to climate change, raise awareness and strengthen the participation of the community and civil society in relation to climate change and health, ensure the participation of vulnerable communities and optimize surveillance systems, as well as increase financing in climate and health.
More information and register to the courses here:
