A new environmental public health practice to manage current and future global health challenges through education, training, and capacity building

Front Public Health. 2024 Nov 18:12:1373490. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1373490. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Unsustainable globalisation of economic activities, lifestyles and social structures has contributed to environmental degradation, posing major threats to human health at the local and global levels. All these problems including climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss represent challenges that are unlikely to be met with existing approaches, capabilities and tools. This article acknowledges the need for well-prepared practitioners from many walks of life to contribute to environmental public health (EPH) functions thus strengthening society's capacity and capability to respond effectively and in a timely manner to such complex situations and multiple challenges. It envisions a new EPH practice addressing questions on: Why do this? What needs to be addressed? Who will do it? How can it be implemented? This article focuses on the main challenging EPH issues worldwide and how they could be addressed using a conceptual framework for training. A companion article shows how they have been tackled in practice, providing ideas and experiences.

Keywords: ecological public health; ecological sustainability; ecology; education; environmental change; environmental health; professional training; public health.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Capacity Building*
  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Health / education
  • Global Health*
  • Humans
  • Public Health / education
  • Public Health Practice

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The publication of this study is part funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change and Health (NIHR 200909), a partnership between UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), in collaboration with University College London and the Met Office. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR, UK Health Security Agency, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University College London, the Met Office or the Department of Health and Social Care. SV acknowledges the HEAL (Healthy Environments And Lives) National Research Network, which receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Special Initiative in Human Health and Environmental Change (Grant No. 2008937).