Abstract:Background Climate change poses significant threats to human health through extreme weather events, infectious disease patterns, air quality degradation and food security challenges. Despite this reality, medical education has been slow to integrate planetary health concepts, leaving future healthcare professionals unprepared to address climate-related health impacts in their practice. Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of a planetary health curriculum intervention in developing medical students’ understanding of climate and health connections and their preparedness to implement sustainable healthcare practices. Methods A mandatory “Planetary Health and Sustainability in Healthcare” module was implemented for 140 third-year medical students at Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia in March 2024. The intervention used blended learning approaches including interactive lectures on climate and health pathways, case studies of climate-sensitive health conditions and reflective exercises on healthcare’s environmental footprint. Pre- and post-module surveys assessed knowledge of climate and health connections, perceived relevance to clinical practice, and commitment to sustainable healthcare behaviours. Qualitative feedback captured students’ understanding of planetary health concepts through open-ended responses exploring their perceptions of environmental factors in healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. Results Among respondents (n=31 pre-module, n=11 post-module), awareness of climate and health connections increased from 2.9 to 4.1 (5-point scale). Students demonstrating commitment to sustainable healthcare practices rose from 55% to 85%. Qualitative analysis showed students moved from viewing environmental issues as separate from medicine to understanding how environmental factors directly influence patient health and clinical decisions. Conclusions Structured planetary health education can effectively prepare medical students to address climate-related health challenges. This curriculum model demonstrates feasibility for scaling workforce development in sustainable healthcare. Such initiatives are essential for healthcare system resilience as environmental challenges intensify.
Keywords: Climate Change and Planetary Health, planetary health, medical education, climate change, sustainability, curriculum development
