European Network on Climate and Health Education (ENCHE)

Overview:

The European Network on Climate and Health Education (ENCHE) will work in close coordination with the GCCHE as a regional network and aims to equip the next generation of medics with the knowledge and insights to deliver sustainable healthcare practices and support the transition to patient-centric, net-zero health systems. Glasgow University is extending an invitation to Europe-based universities to join the network as a founding member. The ENCHE aims to upskill future medics by convening a network of interested faculty staff across Europe to support effective and inspiring teaching for students; share best practices (incl. curricula) across leading universities; and connect leaders in their field from within and beyond academia to enable the latest information to be exchanged with students and staff alike.

Join as a founding member:

If interested in learning more, you can register to be a member of the network or contact Dr Camille Huser, Deputy Head of Undergraduate Medical School, University of Glasgow at: Camille.Huser@glasgow.ac.uk marking your email “ENCHE Interest”. Explore network membership benefits below:

Access best practice teaching materials and resources from academic and sector leaders.
Collaborate with leading institutions on climate-health and related sustainability topics.
Meet student demand for more action on sustainability in healthcare.
Join a coordinated engagement effort on curriculum standards with accreditation bodies.
The first two years of activity for this network has been fully funded by members of the Sustainable Markets Initiative Health Systems Task Force

Key Partners:

The ENCHE will operate in close coordination with and as a regional network of the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE). Under the leadership of Prof. Cecilia Sorensen, the GCCHE will offer their expertise and best practice sharing to the ENCHE and will sit on its Steering Committee. Collaboration between the ENCHE and GCCHE will promote transatlantic collaboration on climate and health teaching in universities for future doctors

The Sustainable Markets Initiative Health Systems Task Force is a public-private partnership of global health leaders united around the common goal of accelerating the transition to net zero, patient-centric health systems. Members of the Sustainable Markets Initiative Health Systems Task Force (AstraZeneca; Bupa; GSK; Novartis; Novo Nordisk; Roche; Sanofi) are pleased to support this initiative, including through seed funding to enable the operationalisation of the ENCHE and connectivity with the GCCHE.

European Network on Climate & Health Education (ENCHE)

The Climate-Health Nexus

The climate crisis is a global health crisis. Climate change is resulting in a steep rise in respiratory and cardiopulmonary disease as well as cancer and mental health issues. The climate crisis will indirectly cause more than 10m deaths per year according to the WHO, with its impact set to continue without significant action taken.
The climate crisis is also a health equity crisis, with the most vulnerable populations the most significantly impacted.
~5% of emissions from the health sector: Ironically, the healthcare sector, whose fundamental aim is to keep people healthy, is contributing to this challenge, emitting around 5% of global emissions and more in some developing economies, according to studies cited by the NHS.
Future medics will be at the frontline of these challenges and will see the volume and nature of the illnesses they treat directly impacted by climate change in coming years.

The Opportunity:

Respond to growing demand and interest: There is an increasing interest from students and faculty at medical schools for sustainability to be included in medical degree curricula.
Develop a pipeline of future ambassadors: Educating the next generation of healthcare professionals (HCPs) on the interconnection of climate, health, and sustainability which represents a significant opportunity to empower the next generation of medics to deliver more sustainable healthcare practice
Enable reach across the health ecosystem: Universities are uniquely positioned to influence education across the healthcare profession more broadly and can therefore inspire positive impact at scale.
An identified need for a network to support teaching on climate and health: the establishment of a university-led network was identified to further engagement with over 20 academic institutions and leaders in this field.

The Status Quo:

Inconsistent delivery of education on this agenda: Currently, sustainability education varies greatly across institutions and relies heavily on the knowledge and interest of individual faculty staff and engagement of student groups. In many academic institutions, sustainability is not part of medical curricula. Teaching on the climate-health nexus is not currently a requirement by many European accreditation bodies.

Resource challenges: Universities are not generally equipped with resources to teach on climate and health or healthcare sustainability. While there is significant appetite by universities to educate students on these topics, there is a lack of fora and channels for best practice sharing across European and international networks to upskill across borders on this critical agenda.

Our Ambitious Goals:

Engage ~10,000 students over three years on sustainability within medical curricula once the network is established (based on 25 universities joining from launch) in 2024.
Embed sustainability content in at least three national curricula in Europe.
In addition to the provision of an online hub, webinars and engagements will be convened to strengthen the network of interested experts and medical educators.

Contact: Dr Camille Huser (She/Her), Deputy Head of Undergraduate Medical School, University of Glasgow at: Camille.Huser@glasgow.ac.uk