This course is an initiative of the Portuguese Council for Health and the Environment (CPSA) and the NOVA National School of Public Health (NOVA NSPH). Its main aim is to raise awareness among health professionals about the effects of environmental determinants on public health, present mitigation and adaptation strategies, reduce the environmental impact of the health sector and make health systems more resilient to the increased risk of climate disasters.
Our aim is to empower all health professionals, from students to decision-makers, in Portuguese-speaking countries to become actively involved and lead a collective effort towards a more sustainable future, promoting healthier environments for health services and their professionals, while helping to reduce their environmental impact.
On 28 July 2022, the United Nations General Assembly officially recognised the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. However, reality is moving in the opposite direction.
In the last 220 years, the world’s population has grown from one billion to more than eight billion people. Since 1970, we have consumed resources beyond the planet’s capacity to regenerate. Nine out of ten children breathe air with pollution levels above the limits recommended by the World Health Organisation. 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded and may have been the coolest year in the rest of our lives. In Canada, forests the size of 17 million football pitches burned and climate disasters are already part of our daily lives. Currently, 55 million people are affected by drought, a figure that could rise to 75 per cent of the world’s population by 2050. It is estimated that 150 species become extinct every day, with one million currently at risk.
This is not a catastrophist vision, but reality – a reality that is getting worse as we approach tipping points with unpredictable and irreversible effects.
The main cause of global warming is the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which doubled between 1970 and 2020. The Paris Agreement establishes the need to reduce these emissions by around 50 per cent by 2030, compared to 2010 levels, in order to limit warming to 1.5°C. The health sector also contributes to these emissions, accounting for around 4.4 per cent of global GHG emissions,
As António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said: ‘The era of global warming is over; we are now in the era of global boiling.’
The consequences for health are already evident. It is estimated that environmental factors are responsible for a quarter of global mortality. Cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, infections, cancer, maternal and child diseases and mental disorders are all being exacerbated by environmental change. More than five million deaths a year are attributed to extreme temperatures. Diseases related to water, food and pollution are on the rise. Environmental degradation intensifies forced migrations, conflicts and psychological suffering. The increase in extreme events such as cyclones, floods, droughts and fires results in devastating human and economic losses. In addition, vector-borne diseases – such as malaria, dengue, Zika and chikungunya – already kill around 800,000 people a year and their prevalence is set to increase. The risk of pandemics caused by zoonoses – diseases transmitted by animals and responsible for almost all pandemics – is also growing.
Just like any other citizen, health professionals cannot jeopardise the future of the next generations – our children and grandchildren. As carers and patient advocates, and as one of the professional classes that society trusts the most, we have an ethical responsibility to act.
This includes advocating for policies that reduce GHG emissions, mobilising health organisations, promoting sustainable practices, fostering research and education, reducing the health sector’s ecological footprint and strengthening its resilience.
Despite the urgency, these topics are still absent from most pre- and postgraduate health training curricula. This course is designed to fill that gap.
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
Professionals and students in the areas of human and animal health, including doctors, veterinarians, pharmacists, dentists, psychologists, nutritionists, health technicians, nurses, managers and other health professionals from Portuguese-speaking countries.
Luís Campos (CPSA) | João Queiroz e Melo (CPSA) | Mónica Rodrigues (CPSA)
Susana Viegas (NOVA NSPH) | Marília Silva Paulo (NOVA NSPH)
Alexandra Bento (INSA) | António Jorge Ferreira (FMUC) | Carolina Monteiro (FML-ULisboa) | Cristina Bárbara (DGS-PNDR) | Fátima Franco (DGS-PNDCV) | Helena Freitas (FCT-UCoimbra) | Ivo Laranjinha (SPN) | João Pedro Gouveia (CENSE, FCT-NOVA) | João Queiroz e Melo (CPSA) | Joaquim Gago (CHLO) | Jorge Cristino (CPSA) | Júlio Bilhota Xavier (SPP) | Kamal Mansinho (CHLO) | Luís Campos (CPSA) | Luís Lapão (IHMT) | Margarida Alho (CPSA) | Maria José Sousa (SPPL) | Maria Sofia Núncio (INSA) | Marília Silva Paulo (NOVA NSPH) | Mário Fontes e Sousa (CHLO-CUF) | Mónica Oleastro (INSA) | Mónica Rodrigues (CPSA) | Mónica Tinoco (SPMS) | Nuno Jorge (CHLN) | Nuno Jorge (CPSA) | Paulo Magalhães (FDUP) | Paulo Nicola (FML-ULisboa) | Pedro Martins (NMS) | Rita Nortada (Associação Protetora dos Diabéticos) | Rita Oliveira (CPSA) | Sara Correia (Associação ZERO) | Sofia Santos (ISEG) | Susana Viegas (NOVA NSPH) | Tiago Fernandes (SPA)
A participation certificate will be issued to participants who attend more than 80% of the sessions. This course will also be accredited with 3 ECTS for those who wish to complete a final assessment.
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