Introduction

Course Convenor: Dr Arnagretta Hunter

The health impacts and health system responses to the changing climate

Climate change is increasingly recognised as a defining health challenge of our time. Its impacts are being felt across communities, health systems and public policy, while also reshaping how we think about resilience, adaptation and prevention. For professionals working across health and government, the need for a deeper understanding of this changing landscape is growing.

Climate Change & Health is a professional short course designed for practitioners, policy- and decision-makers seeking to understand the health impacts of climate change and the responses required across health systems, policy and practice. It brings together health, climate and systems thinking in a way that is both strategic and practical. 

Grounded in the connection between health and climate policy, the course explores the breadth of the challenge while examining key areas such as health impacts, healthcare sustainability, system resilience and the wider policy settings that shape health outcomes in a changing climate. 

Register your Expression of Interest to be the first to hear about course dates, program details and enrolment information.

Submit your Expression of Interest

Overview

This course explores the relationship between climate change and health, with a focus on both the impacts of a changing climate and the responses required across health systems and public policy. It introduces participants to key concepts in public health, healthcare sustainability, health system resilience and adaptation, while also examining how broader policy areas such as housing and energy affect population health and wellbeing. 

The course has been designed for professionals who need both breadth and practical relevance: an understanding of the wider challenge, alongside insight into the issues most likely to shape policy and system responses in the years ahead.  

Why this course matters

The health impacts of climate change are significant, and health is increasingly central to climate adaptation and policy discussion. As climate and health agendas become more closely linked across government, healthcare and the community sector, there is growing demand for professionals who can work confidently across both fields. 

This course is especially timely in the context described in the course brief, including the establishment of the Australian Centre for Disease Control and the implementation of the National Climate Change and Health Strategy, both of which point to growing professional demand in this area. Dynamic and Resilient Health Systems is one of the ten themes at the upcoming COP31 meeting in Turkiye. 

This course responds to that need by helping participants build a stronger understanding of:

• the links between climate change and health consequences 
• healthcare sustainability in a changing climate 
• health system resilience in the context of community adaptation 
• the ways related policy areas, including housing and energy, influence population health and wellbeing  

Who should attend

This course is designed for professionals working across health, climate, policy and system leadership. It may be particularly relevant for:

• government professionals, including those working in the Australian CDC, federal and state departments of health, and state and territory health officials
• state and territory climate and energy personnel 
• healthcare practitioners in public and private settings 
• consultants working in relevant fields 
• public service policymakers 
• health system clinical leaders 
• health system administrators 
• selected international participants seeking lessons from the Australian context 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• link climate change impacts to health consequences 
• appreciate the importance of healthcare sustainability 
• assess health system resilience in the context of community adaptation 
• understand how climate policy in related fields, such as housing and energy, can affect population health and wellbeing   

Course topics

Topics may include:

• health impacts of climate change 
• public health, epidemiology, One Health and climate change 
• healthcare sustainability 
• health system resilience 
• housing as a health resource 
• co-benefits of climate and health policy  

What makes this course distinctive

This course brings together health, climate change and system response in one integrated learning experience.  Centring understanding of climate change in the perspective of human health and wellbeing increases awareness of significant opportunities for changes in policy and practice in healthcare and throughout communities and governments. 

Participants will benefit from a perspective that combines health expertise with wider climate, housing and energy insights. For professionals working in this emerging field, the course offers a valuable opportunity to build confidence, capability and cross-sector understanding. 

Why register your interest

Submitting an Expression of Interest will allow you to:

• receive updates when course dates are confirmed;
• access the latest course information and program details;
• be among the first to hear when enrolments open.