ClimaX – ANEM Portugal

Name of the activity: ClimaX

Country/NMO: ANEM Portugal

Program: Environment and Health

Contact information: contact [email protected] to get in touch with the Activity Coordinator

Type of the activity: First-time Activity

Category: Capacity Building

Focus area: Climate Change, Health Sustainability and Green Hospitals

Sustainable Development Goals addressed: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action)

General description:

ClimaX is a 2-day capacity building event for medical students and healthcare professionals on topics related to climate change and health and healthcare sustainability, to prepare these individuals for their future as healthcare professionals undoubtedly influenced by climate change. 

Problem statement:

The WHO recognizes climate change as the greatest threat to global health of the 21st century, with estimates of  250,000 additional deaths between 2030 and 2050. Also, the ecological footprint of health services represents, if it were a country, the 5th most polluting country on the planet.

Health professionals understand climate change’s impact on health, but more than 4 out of 10 felt they had insufficient knowledge on the topic.

Target groups:

• Medical students
• Healthcare Students

Beneficiaries:

• Medical students

Objectives:

– Develop a two-day CB event on the climate change impact on health and environment and health’s topics

– Capacitate medical students and healthcare professionals on these topics with the CB event

– Distribute sustainable products to the participants

Indicators of Success:

1 event with 6 sessions developed

80 medical students have registered for the CB event

20 healthcare professionals have registered for the CB event

60 participants truly have attended the event

5 products were distributed to the participants

Methodology:

The date for the activity were decided to be held during the COP27, when the mediatic visibility would be high for this topic.

First, to design the CB event, we will collect the LPOs’ feedback. The program for the event will be decided collectively, with the help of a Scientific Committee made of the Portuguese Health Agency, a Portuguese NGO and Public Health doctors.

It will include sessions on the climate change’s impact on health, Health sustainability and green hospitals, food production and safety, health communication on climate change, ecoanxiety and ecology changes of infectious diseases.

In addition to this, we are trying to establish partnerships with some brands, to offer sustainable products to promote a giveaway with the event’s participants. 

This will be an online event, to avoid transportation and reduce the CO2 emissions.

Plans for evaluation:

Number of people (medical students and healthcare professionals) who registered for the event

Number of people who attended the event

Number of sessions delivered

Number of sustainable products offered to the participants

Quantitative post-event evaluation from the participants, on a shared online questionnaire

External collaborations:

Portuguese Health Agency – part of the Scientific Committee that helped building the program for the event and respective speakers

Portuguese NGO “ZERO” – part of the Scientific Committee that helped building the program for the event and respective speakers

Brands “EcoX”, “Bambu”, “Green Turtle”, “Pegada Verde”, “Nidore” and “Plume” – offered sustainable products to promote a giveaway with the participants