To address the climate emergency, medical schools in Europe will be expanding education on the topics of dengue, malaria, and other climate-sensitive diseases in the coming years. CE & CCD have announced the formation the European Network on Climate & Health Education (Enche) which is an effort to introduce climate change education in to the medical curriculum.

The programme, led by the University of Glasgow, will comprise 25 medical schools from countries such as the UK, Belgium and France, and will have over 10,000 students. Dr. Mr.Camille Huser, the co-chair of the network, reiterated that future doctors must be ready to address different presentations and diseases than are currently being witnessed.

This year’s summer is officially the hottest in Europe, and climate change challenges are stepping up their pressure on the health sector. Global warming has caused increase in temperatures, irregular rainfalls thus are increased breeding grounds for insect borne diseases such as the mosquitoes. Moreover, any acute disease or prolonged illness such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and any kind of mental disorder is also increasing day by day because of weather extremities and bad air quality.

Up-to-date climate issues are mostly taught to students in medical school either through compressed teaching sessions usually just a single module or even a lecture. The Enche network wants climate to be integrated within these health care curriculums, so students can graduate with the tools needed to detect and treat in climate terms.