Planetary Health is defined as “the health of human civilization and the natural systems on which it depends”. Consequently, this module will train you in broader skills such as taking a holistic and interrelated approach to health, studying how the health of humans, non-human animals, our climate, and ecology are all linked and affect each other. By recognising this interrelatedness, you will be able to answer more complex and long-term health questions such as: How do climate change and animal movements affect the distribution and interaction between humans, animals and their diseases? And how do land use change and biodiversity loss affect ecology and climate? In short, you will be trained to consider the bigger picture to answer specific health questions. The course concludes with a focus on response and mitigation – specifically, how policymakers need to consider the full range of interconnected facets, and work both locally and globally to address these global challenges. As part of this, you will gain skills in interpreting and evaluating government policy documents.
A typical week in this course will consist of two one-hour lectures and a student-led one-hour journal club / workshop, where you will look deeper into that week’s theme using published journal articles or policy documents.