The air a community breathes, the water it drinks, and the way its cities are built all leave a measurable mark on public health — often long before anyone connects the dots. This Training Course on Environmental Drivers of Public Health Outcomes, offered by the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy, is built around that connection.

Air quality, water quality, chemical exposure, climate change, and urbanization all shape health outcomes at both the individual and community level. Participants come away understanding how these environmental factors interact with human health, and how to translate that understanding into policies and practices that build healthier communities.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify the key factors linking health and the environment, and explain how they shape human health outcomes.
• Assess the role of climate change and pollution in public health, and identify strategies to mitigate environmental health risks.
• Understand how public health policy can respond to environmental health challenges.

Who Should Attend?

• Public health professionals and environmental health officers.
• Healthcare administrators and managers.
• Environmental scientists and sustainability advocates.
• Community health coordinators, policy makers, students, and researchers interested in environmental health.

Module 1: Environmental Hazards and Health — Air, Water, and Chemical Exposure

• The impact of air pollution on human health, including conditions like asthma and cardiovascular disease, and measures to improve air quality in urban and industrial areas
• The role of clean water and sanitation in disease prevention, and the health risks of contamination and inadequate sanitation
• The impact of chemicals and toxins such as pesticides and heavy metals, their link to chronic disease, and how toxic substances are regulated to protect public health

Module 2: Climate Change and Extreme Weather — a Growing Health Threat

• The science of climate change and its health effects, from heatwaves to vector-borne disease, and the populations most vulnerable to them
• Health risks posed by floods, droughts, and hurricanes, and how health systems prepare and respond
• Building community resilience against climate-related health risks

Module 3: Cities, Industry, and Health

• Urbanization trends and their health implications, including the link between urban design and public health (air quality, noise, green space) and resulting health disparities
• Industrial pollution and its effects on workers and surrounding communities, and sustainable practices for reducing that impact

Module 4: Defining the Field — Health, Environment, and How They Connect

• The concept of health (physical, mental, and social well-being) and what environmental health means and why it matters
• How environmental factors affect human health, and the role of ecosystems and environmental degradation in shaping health outcomes
• Historical environmental health crises and emerging threats such as climate change, water scarcity, and urbanization, and the lessons they offer

Module 5: Building Resilience — Mitigation, Adaptation, and Sustainable Development

• Global and local actions to reduce climate-related health risks, and strategies for climate-resilient healthcare systems
• Integrating health and environmental policy for sustainable development
• Sustainable urban planning, green space, and eco-friendly infrastructure in building healthy cities

Module 6: Policy Frameworks and Global Standards

• Key international frameworks such as WHO guidance and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
• National policies for environmental protection and public health, such as air quality standards and water safety regulations
• The role of public health organizations in advocating for environmental health

Module 7: Getting Communities Involved

• Raising awareness of the link between health and the environment
• Strategies for involving communities in environmental health decisions
• Building partnerships between healthcare providers, environmental organizations, and communities

Module 8: Assessing and Solving Environmental Health Challenges

• Tools and methods for assessing environmental health risks
• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of environmental health interventions
• Policy recommendations for strengthening the link between health and the environment