About This Course
Climate change is now widely recognised as the defining public health challenge of the twenty-first century. Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, extreme weather events, and ecological disruption are reshaping the distribution of infectious diseases, intensifying food and water insecurity, triggering mass displacement, and overwhelming health systems that were already under pressure. For professionals working in health, environment, governance, and humanitarian response, understanding these intersections is no longer optional — it is a core professional competency.
This course, Climate Change and Human Health Training, provides a rigorous yet accessible grounding in the science and practice of climate-health linkages. Participants will examine how climate variability and long-term climatic shifts influence vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue, respiratory and cardiovascular conditions linked to heat and air quality, waterborne illness driven by flooding and drought, and the mental health consequences of disaster and displacement. The programme pays particular attention to vulnerable populations — children, the elderly, pregnant women, and communities in climate-exposed geographies — and to the structural inequities that amplify health risk.
Beyond diagnosis of the problem, the course is firmly action-oriented. Participants will work through frameworks for climate-sensitive disease surveillance, health vulnerability and adaptation assessments, and the integration of climate considerations into national health plans and emergency preparedness protocols. Real-world case studies from East Africa, West Africa, and Southern Africa ground the learning in contexts familiar to the majority of participants, while comparative examples from South Asia and the Pacific broaden the perspective.
TrainingComplex has designed this programme to serve as both a standalone professional development experience and a foundation for deeper specialisation in climate-health policy, One Health approaches, or environmental epidemiology. Participants leave with concrete tools, a professional peer network, and a personal action plan they can implement immediately within their organisations.
Who Should Attend
- Public health officers and epidemiologists working in national or county health ministries
- Environmental health practitioners and sanitation specialists
- Climate change focal points within government agencies and development organisations
- Humanitarian and emergency response professionals
- NGO and INGO programme staff working in health, WASH, or livelihoods
- Health system planners and policy analysts
- Academic researchers and graduate students in public health or environmental sciences
- Community health programme coordinators
- Donor agency and multilateral staff overseeing health or climate portfolios
Learning Objectives
- Explain the mechanisms by which climate change drives changes in disease patterns, nutrition, mental health, and health system demand
- Describe the epidemiology of climate-sensitive diseases including malaria, dengue, cholera, and heat-related illness
- Conduct or contribute to a health vulnerability and adaptation assessment for a defined population or geography
- Apply climate-sensitive surveillance frameworks to strengthen early warning and outbreak response
- Identify the populations and communities most exposed and least resilient to climate-health risks
- Integrate climate considerations into health sector planning documents and emergency preparedness frameworks
- Evaluate evidence on adaptation and mitigation co-benefits relevant to public health practice
- Communicate climate-health risks effectively to decision-makers, community leaders, and the media
- Apply One Health and intersectoral approaches to climate-resilient health system strengthening
- Develop a personal or institutional action plan for embedding climate-health resilience in their professional context
Course Modules
Module 1: Climate Science Foundations for Health Professionals
- Key drivers of contemporary climate change and projected regional trajectories
- Understanding IPCC scenarios and what they mean for health in Africa and the Middle East
- Temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather trends relevant to health outcomes
- The difference between climate variability and long-term climate change in epidemiological terms
- Climate feedback loops and tipping points with direct public health implications
- Interpreting climate data products and projections for non-specialist health audiences
Module 2: Climate Change and Infectious Disease Dynamics
- How temperature and rainfall shifts alter vector habitats and transmission seasons for malaria and dengue
- Climate drivers of cholera, typhoid, and other waterborne disease outbreaks
- Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases in the context of ecological change
- Lyme disease, Rift Valley Fever, and leishmaniasis as climate-sensitive case studies
- Role of land use change and deforestation in amplifying infectious disease risk
- Surveillance gaps and the challenge of attributing outbreak causation to climate factors
Module 3: Heat, Air Quality, and Non-Communicable Disease Burden
- Physiology of heat stress and heat stroke across age groups and occupational settings
- Cardiovascular and respiratory pathways linking ambient temperature to morbidity and mortality
- Urban heat island effects and inequitable exposure within cities
- Wildfires, dust storms, and the climate-air quality nexus
- Climate change and the projected rise of allergic and respiratory conditions
- Occupational health risks for outdoor and agricultural workers under increasing heat
Module 4: Food Security, Nutrition, and Climate Change
- Agricultural yield impacts of drought, flooding, and irregular seasons in sub-Saharan Africa
- Nutrition pathways from food insecurity to stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiency
- Climate change effects on livestock, fisheries, and dietary diversity
- Aflatoxin and mycotoxin contamination as climate-sensitive food safety hazards
- Food systems resilience and the role of climate-smart agriculture in protecting health
- Integrating nutrition surveillance with climate early warning systems
Module 5: Water, Sanitation, and Climate-Driven Health Risks
- How droughts and floods disrupt safe water access and sanitation infrastructure
- Flood-related contamination of water sources and the epidemiology of post-flood disease
- Sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion, and drinking water quality in coastal communities
- Climate and WASH interactions in humanitarian and displacement settings
- Strengthening water system resilience through climate-proofed infrastructure design
- Community hygiene promotion strategies adapted to climate-stressed environments
Module 6: Mental Health, Displacement, and Psychosocial Impacts
- Psychological consequences of extreme weather events, crop failure, and livelihood loss
- Climate grief, eco-anxiety, and their emergence as recognised mental health concerns
- Trauma, post-traumatic stress, and community resilience following climate disasters
- Mental health needs of internally displaced persons and climate migrants
- Integrating psychosocial support into disaster response and recovery programmes
- Community-based mental health approaches for climate-affected populations
Module 7: Vulnerable Populations and Climate Justice
- Children's unique physiological and developmental vulnerability to climate-health risks
- Maternal and neonatal health implications of heat stress and food insecurity
- Elderly populations and compounding chronic disease vulnerability
- Gender dimensions of climate exposure and health access barriers
- Indigenous and rural communities: heightened exposure and reduced adaptive capacity
- Climate justice frameworks and the ethics of differential burden and responsibility
Module 8: Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment
- Structure and purpose of the WHO Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment methodology
- Steps in selecting indicators and gathering baseline health and climate data
- Mapping climate hazards against health system capacity and population sensitivity
- Engaging community stakeholders in participatory vulnerability assessment
- Prioritising adaptation options using cost-effectiveness and equity criteria
- Documenting and communicating assessment findings for policy audiences
Module 9: Climate-Resilient Health Systems and Adaptation Planning
- Core attributes of a climate-resilient health system according to WHO frameworks
- Integrating climate risk into national health strategic plans and annual work programmes
- Health facility infrastructure adaptation — water harvesting, cooling, and flood-proofing
- Health workforce capacity building for climate-sensitive practice
- Health financing strategies and accessing climate adaptation funds for health
- Monitoring and evaluating climate adaptation progress within health sector M&E systems
Module 10: Intersectoral Action, Policy Advocacy, and Personal Commitment
- One Health approaches linking human, animal, and ecosystem health in a changing climate
- Building intersectoral coalitions across health, environment, agriculture, and disaster risk management
- Advocating for climate-health integration in national development and climate plans including NDCs
- Communicating climate-health evidence to policymakers, media, and communities
- Developing an institutional climate-health action plan with realistic milestones and indicators
- Personal professional commitments and next steps for sustained climate-health leadership
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have a foundational understanding of public health principles or environmental management gained through professional experience or academic study. Familiarity with basic epidemiological concepts such as incidence, prevalence, and disease transmission is recommended. No prior specialisation in climate science is required, as the course introduces relevant climatological concepts from first principles.
Training Methodology
- Illustrated lectures anchored in peer-reviewed epidemiological and climate science evidence, with regional data drawn from Africa and the wider Global South
- Small-group case study analysis examining documented climate-health crises — including the 2019 Cyclone Idai health response, Sahel drought and malnutrition, and urban heat mortality in Lagos
- Participant-led vulnerability mapping exercise using real population, climate, and health facility data from a selected country scenario
- Role-play simulations of intersectoral coordination meetings, requiring participants to negotiate climate-health priorities across health, environment, and agriculture ministries
- Hands-on use of WHO and IPCC adaptation planning tools and templates, including the Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment guide
- Evidence appraisal exercises in which participants critically review intervention studies and adaptation programme evaluations
- Daily reflection journals prompting participants to connect session content to their own institutional context
- Peer-to-peer knowledge exchange panels where participants share country-specific climate-health experiences and innovations
- Draft action planning workshop on the final day, with structured feedback from facilitators and peers
Organisational Benefits
- Strengthened organisational capacity to anticipate and respond to climate-driven health threats
- Improved quality of health sector plans through systematic integration of climate risk
- Enhanced staff competence in climate-sensitive disease surveillance and early warning
- Reduced institutional vulnerability to climate-related health emergencies through better preparedness
- Greater credibility with donors and partners seeking climate-health co-benefits in project design
- Better cross-sectoral collaboration with environment, water, agriculture, and disaster risk management agencies
- Improved ability to access climate finance mechanisms that require health impact analysis
- Strengthened monitoring and evaluation frameworks that capture climate-health outcomes
- Development of internal champions who can lead climate-health integration across programme teams
Where Is Climate Change and Human Health Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Zanzibar, Addis Ababa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Abuja, Arusha, Pretoria, Dubai, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Riyadh, Kampala, Kigali, Naivasha, Accra, Johannesburg, Mombasa, Cape Town, Lagos, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Live Virtual |
Online |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
24 Oct 2026 – 15 Nov 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,400 |
| Kisumu, Kenya |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,800 |
| Arusha, Tanzania |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,100 |
| Pretoria, South Africa |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,300 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,100 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
KES 115,000 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
2 Nov 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
2 Nov 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 |
USD 4,100 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
2 Nov 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 |
KES 105,000 |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
In-Person |
2 Nov 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 |
USD 2,300 |
+227 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a background in climate science to attend this course?
No prior climate science knowledge is required. The course opens with a dedicated module that introduces all necessary climatological concepts in plain language, specifically for health and development professionals. Participants with a basic public health or environmental management background will be fully equipped to engage with all sessions.
Will I receive a certificate upon completion?
Yes. Participants who attend all sessions and complete the final action planning exercise will receive a TrainingComplex Certificate of Completion in Climate Change and Human Health. The certificate is recognised by participating organisations and can be submitted as evidence of continuing professional development.
Is this course relevant to professionals outside the health sector?
Absolutely. While the programme is anchored in public health, it is equally valuable for professionals in WASH, humanitarian response, agriculture, environmental management, and climate policy who need to understand and address the health dimensions of their work.
What materials and tools will participants take away?
Participants receive a comprehensive course resource pack including the WHO Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment guide, climate-sensitive surveillance templates, a curated evidence library, and their completed personal or institutional action plan. All materials are provided digitally for easy reference after the course.
Can this course be delivered in-house for an organisation's entire team?
Yes. TrainingComplex offers customised in-house delivery of this programme for government ministries, UN agencies, NGOs, and research institutions. The content and case studies can be tailored to reflect the specific country context and organisational mandate of the commissioning institution. Please contact TrainingComplex directly to discuss your requirements.
