LI Course
CE Hours: 6 contact hours

Partnership: This LI Course is being sponsored by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences and George Mason University's Center for Climate Change Communication. Several course faculty are APHA members.

Statement of Purpose and Institute Overview: The purpose of this Institute is to teach public health professionals how to effectively convey the public health implications of climate change to a variety of internal and external audiences, including policy-makers and the broader public. Previous research has shown that the majority of local health departments across the nation are already witnessing health impacts from climate change, and that more and worse health impacts are anticipated over the decades to come. Few health departments have begun to systematically inform internal and external audiences about these impacts and risks, and engage these audiences in decision-making about how best to manage the risks, yet many recognize the need to begin this process. This Institute will provide participants with the skills they need to begin communicating the public health imperative of climate change, including: an overview of implications of climate change for human health; practical guidance on how to communicate the human health implications of climate change; an example of how public health communication on climate change was successfully used in a real-world situation in California; and the opportunity to plan and practice adding climate change and health messaging into ongoing public health programs.

Session Objectives: Participants will be able to: (1) Describe the public health implications of climate change; and (2) Design effective methods of communicating about the health implications of climate change.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)