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Environmental and planetary health education for healthcare professionals: A social imperative

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Recent literature highlights the urgent need for integrating environmental and planetary health into healthcare education, emphasising the impact of environmental exposures on disease and the interconnection between planetary and human health. However, these discussions often overlook critical social dimensions that make environmental and planetary health training for healthcare professionals not just beneficial, but essential. This paper argues that healthcare professionals possess significant social influence, can address gendered and socioeconomic health inequalities, play a key role in sustainable transitions, serve as critical barriers against pseudoscience and fear-based misinformation, improve crisis preparedness, address regional environmental health disparities, and contribute to lowering healthcare costs. We conclude with recommendations to integrate environmental and planetary health into medical education, continuous professional training and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Source: Future Healthcare Journal

DOI: 10.1016/j.fhj.2025.100491

Authors: Eleni Prifti, Vasiliki Andreou, Alexia Katsanidou

Institutions: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University of Cologne, GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Health and Medical Education

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities, Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,000