Inclusion of climate change and planetary health in masters of public health curricula in the UK.

Abstract

Due to the many health impacts of climate change, it is imperative to equip public health professionals with the skills and knowledge to work on climate mitigation and adaptation. However, it is unclear to what extent Masters of Public Health (MPH) include climate change and related subjects in their curricula. A survey was sent to MPH directors in the UK with questions about inclusion of climate change and related subjects in the curriculum. Russell group universities and those commissioned by NHS England Workforce, Training and Education were invited to take part. A total of 27 MPH courses were included (100% response rate). Climate change and related subjects were included in optional or core modules on other subjects, with health protection and health improvement being the most common. Two MPHs had only one lecture/seminar on climate change and one MPH did not cover these topics in the syllabus. The most common subject included in curricula was climate change (24, 89%). Most MPH directors wanted to increase the inclusion of climate change and planetary health in the curriculum (12, 55%) but could not do so due to lack of space within an already overloaded curriculum (10, 37%). Despite the recognition of the importance of climate change and health education by MPH course directors, the inclusion of those subjects in curricula remains variable and not as thorough as required given the importance of the topic. Addressing barriers is warranted to enable public health professionals to gain the required skills in climate mitigation and adaptation.