Area of Responsibility: Area V: Advocacy Keywords: Advocacy@@@Environmental Health@@@Global Health, Subcompetencies: 5.2 Engage coalitions and stakeholders in addressing the health issue and planning advocacy efforts., 5.2.4 Educate stakeholders on the health issue and the proposed policy, system, or environmental change. Research or Practice: Practice
Associate Professor Western Michigan University Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to describe the strategies Naresuan University used to build partnerships and capacity for the goal of advocacy for planetary health.
By the end of this session, participants will analyze the actions taken for advocacy for planetary health at both institutional and local government levels.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to describe planetary health and consider applications in their respective settings.
Brief Abstract Summary: Planetary health emerged as a public health focal point in 2015. The philosophy, embraced for thousands of years by indigenous populations, is that the health of the planet and human health are totally connected. Currently, human actions are damaging the planet’s health including climate damage. In turn, that is leading to ill health in humans. Thailand is disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change, so Naresuan University faculty of public health initiated an innovative strategy with 4 aims of: 1) building faculty capacity in planetary health, 2) incorporating planetary health education in most undergraduate programs 3) establishing global partnerships with the U.S. Fulbright Specialist program and universities and 4) advocating with the mayor of Phitsanulok for action on planetary health. This presentation will detail each of the four aforementioned aims including lessons learned and recommendations for establishing partnerships and advocacy for planetary health.
Detailed abstract description: Planetary health emerged as a focal point within public health about a decade ago with the release of the 2015 Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission report. The philosophy and concept, embraced and advocated for thousands of years by indigenous populations worldwide, is that the health of the planet and human health are totally connected. Currently, human actions and behaviors are damaging the health of the planet resulting in climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and resource depletion. In turn the declining health of the planet and environment is leading to ill health in humans including respiratory health, cardiovascular health, new or re-emerging infectious diseases, chemicals, extreme temperatures, food and water insecurity, mental health and cancers. Several countries in the global South are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change including Thailand. For those reasons, Naresuan University faculty of public health in Phitsanulok,Thailand initiated an innovative strategy with four aims of: 1) building capacity for faculty in planetary health, 2) incorporating planetary health education in an interdisciplinary manner in most undergraduate programs in the faculty of public health 3) establishing a global partnership with the U.S. Fulbright Specialist program, the first author, and multiple universities in the region and 4) advocating at the local level with the mayor of Phitsanulok for partnership and action on planetary health. This presentation will focus on detailing the actions and processes of each of the four aforementioned aims. Attendees will learn about the multi-year work of Naresuan in building capacity in planetary health, the process and outcomes of mainstreaming planetary health across all undergraduate programs including community health, gerontology/elder adults, environmental health, applied Thai traditional medicine, occupational health, environmental health, and the establishment of strategic partnerships in the region and globally, and the process and outcomes of advocacy with the local mayor. Lessons learned and recommendations for establishing partnerships and advocacy for planetary health will conclude the presentation.
