The Planetary Health Brick Collection
Comprehensive and High-Yield Bricks
The Planetary Health Brick Collection is a comprehensive resource for building a Planetary Health curriculum that will prepare medical students for the challenges of a changing climate and environmental pollution. Developed by ScholarRx and the Medical Student Alliance for Global Education, this collection of high-yield, interactive Bricks was edited by one of the foremost experts in the field and offers a comprehensive look at an increasingly crucial topic.
These free, open-access Bricks can be used in your courses immediately. Connect them to Respiratory, Mental Health, or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Bricks to round out your classes and set your students up for future success.
| Brick Name | Brick URL |
|---|---|
Introduction to Planetary Health | View this Brick |
Air Pollution | View this Brick |
Water Quality | View this Brick |
Climate Change and Health | View this Brick |
Extreme Heat | View this Brick |
Severe Weather Events | View this Brick |
Vector Ecology and Zoonoses | View this Brick |
Food and Water Security | View this Brick |
Mental Health and the Environment | View this Brick |
Climate Migration and Displacement | View this Brick |
Climate-Related Disaster Preparedness | View this Brick |
Climate Mitigation and Adaptation | View this Brick |
Environmental Justice | View this Brick |
Health Systems and the Environment | View this Brick |
Aligned with the Planetary Health Report Card
Our Planetary Health collection of Rx Bricks is designed to empower future health professionals by providing them with the knowledge and tools needed to make a significant impact on global health challenges. This collection is in alignment with the objectives of the Planetary Health Report Card, a pioneering initiative aimed at evaluating and enhancing medical schools' focus on planetary health. The goal is to ensure that learners are not only prepared to excel academically but are also equipped to lead the charge in advocating for and implementing sustainable health practices that protect our planet and improve human health outcomes.
- Free and open Planetary Health collection: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/collection/planetary-health
- Climate Change and Health: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/climate-change-and-health
- Extreme Heat: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/extreme-heat
Related Learning Objectives
- Describe the dynamic interaction of elements in the climate system.
- Explain how human actions contribute to a changing climate.
- Identify climate-sensitive health risks.
- Explain how extreme heat events are affecting health.
- Describe the clinical presentations associated with extreme heat.
- Discuss strategies to minimize the health effects of extreme heat.
- Severe Weather Events: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/severe-weather-events
Related Learning Objectives
- Distinguish types of severe weather events.
- Explain why severe weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity.
- Explain how natural disasters impact health.
- Vector Ecology and Zoonoses: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/vector-ecology-and-zoonoses
Related Learning Objectives
- Explain the relationships between environment, host, and infectious agent.'
- Identify climatic factors that contribute to infectious diseases.
- Explain the link between a changing climate and the increase in vectors and infectious diseases.
- Air Pollution: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/air-pollution
Related Learning Objectives
- Distinguish sources of air pollution.
- Describe the health effects associated with air pollution.
- Mental Health and the Environment: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/mental-health-and-the-environment
Related Learning Objectives
- Describe the relationship between mental health and the environment.
- Explain how environmental degradation impacts mental health.
- Mental Health and the Environment: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/mental-health-and-the-environment
Related Learning Objectives
- Describe the relationship between mental health and the environment.
- Explain how environmental degradation impacts mental health.
- Food and Water Security: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/food-and-water-security
- Health Systems and the Environment: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/health-systems-and-the-enviroment
Related Learning Objectives
- Define food and water security, including the state of food and water security worldwide.
- Explain how global environmental changes impact food and water security.
- Describe the components of climate-resilient health systems.
- Explain the impacts of health systems on the environment.
- Climate Migration and Displacement: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/climate-migration-and-displacement
- Environmental Justice: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/environmental-justice
Related Learning Objectives
- Distinguish between the concepts of migration and displacement.
- Explain how environmental changes can lead to displacement.
- Identify the impact of climate migration and displacement on populations’ health.
- Explain why global environmental changes have a disproportionate impact on different regions.
- Identify the population groups most vulnerable to the impacts of global environmental changes.
- Environmental Justice: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/environmental-justice
Related Learning Objectives
- Define environmental justice.
- Explain why global environmental changes have a disproportionate impact on different regions.
- Identify the population groups most vulnerable to the impacts of global environmental changes.
- Air Pollution: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/air-pollution
- Climate Change and Health: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/climate-change-and-health
Related Learning Objectives
- Describe the health effects associated with air pollution.
- Explain strategies to minimize the health effects of air pollution.
- Describe the dynamic interaction of elements in the climate system.
- Explain how human actions contribute to a changing climate.
- Identify climate-sensitive health risks.
- Climate Change and Health: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/climate-change-and-health
Related Learning Objectives
- Explain how human actions contribute to a changing climate.
- Identify climate-sensitive health risks.
- Define climate-resilient health systems.
- Climate Mitigation and Adaptation: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/climate-mitigation-and-adaptation
Related Learning Objectives
- Explain how human actions contribute to a changing climate.
- Identify climate-sensitive health risks.
- Define climate-resilient health systems.
- Water Quality: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/water-quality
- Climate Change and Health: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/climate-change-and-health
Related Learning Objectives
- Define water quality, including the various harmful contaminants of fresh water.
- Identify the health effects of poor-quality water.
- Describe the dynamic interaction of elements in the climate system.
- Explain how human actions contribute to a changing climate.
- Climate Mitigation and Adaptation: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/climate-mitigation-and-adaptation
Related Learning Objectives
- Define health co-benefits of climate mitigation and adaptation.
- Identify public health interventions promoting climate mitigation and adaptation.
- Health Systems and the Environment: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/health-systems-and-the-enviroment
Related Learning Objectives
- Describe the relationship between health systems and the environment.
- Describe the components of climate-resilient health systems.
- Explain the impacts of health systems on the environment.
- Health Systems and the Environment: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/health-systems-and-the-enviroment
- Climate Mitigation and Adaptation: https://exchange.scholarrx.com/brick/climate-mitigation-and-adaptation
Related Learning Objectives
- List strategies to promote environmentally sustainable health systems.
- Explain the role of health professions in promoting environmentally sustainable health systems.
- Define health co-benefits of climate mitigation and adaptation.
- Identify public health interventions promoting climate mitigation and adaptation.
- Explain climate resilience and ecosystem restoration.
MeSAGE is a global collaboration of student organizations working together to develop medical education content that fosters:
- Clinical Excellence
- Cultural Competence
- Health Equity
MeSAGE is dedicated to providing student organizations with the tools to influence health professions curricula. MeSAGE aims to develop open-access content through high-yield, interactive Bricks. With the participation of student organizations from various regions around the globe, MeSAGE is the largest student-driven curriculum alliance in existence. Our members include over 1.4 million medical students from more than 130 countries.
Protect and Sustain our Health and Livelihoods
We believe that a healthy planet and healthy people are two sides of the same coin. The WHO stated, “Climate change is the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century.” This is why our Planetary Health Brick Collection is dedicated to helping medical schools protect and sustain our health and livelihoods through a comprehensive curriculum on planetary health. With this collection of Bricks, you can be sure that your medical students are prepared for the future.
"The health gains achieved in the past 50 years of global economic development could be reversed by 2050 due to the consequences of climate change."