OPINION: Climate change is a health crisis – medical education at Aarhus University must not lag behind
Medical students call for more comprehensive climate change teaching in Aarhus University’s medical programme. We, faculty and researchers working in this domain, agree and are ready to act. Building on AU’s strengths in education, research, and collaboration, we see this as both a societal and clinical necessity in training future medical doctors in climate change and health.
This is an opinion piece, the views expressed are those of the writers.
On 13 August, an Omnibus opinion by medical students noted that climate change is barely covered in AU’s medical studies, as noted by the students limited to a single lecture. We, as educators and researchers in this field, welcome their call as a constructive opportunity and fully agree that climate and health teaching must be strengthened.
Climate change is widely recognised as the greatest global health threat of this century, with impacts already visible in clinics and hospital — from heatwaves, air pollution to shifting disease patterns. Yet medical curricula lag behind. A 2019-20 global survey found that only 15% of medical schools incorporate climate change and health into their curriculum.
The healthcare sector itself contributes 4-5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Clinicians must therefore understand both how climate change affects patients and how to deliver care sustainably.
Students in Denmark and across Europe recognise this need. Yet the Planetary Health Report Card shows only modest coverage at top Scandinavian medical schools. AU’s medical science curriculum shows similar gaps as climate change and health teaching is limited to ad hoc sessions or a single lecture.
What AU now needs is a structured approach to meet this educational imperative.
We are not starting from scratch
AU is not starting from scratch. Climate change topics have already begun to enter our teaching. The sixth-semester Public Health course for Medicine now includes a dedicated lecture on climate change and health. Likewise, AU Summer University course on climate change included lectures on health impacts for the first time this year.
The university also has a strong foundation of knowledge and resources to support climate-health education. The Department of Public Health hosts The Climate Chambers. Interdisciplinarity is a core AU strength. The Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change (iClimate) connects climate science with engineering, agriculture, policy, public health, and medicine, allowing students to engage directly with climate experts and apply data and modelling to practical adaptation strategies.
AU’s Research Unit for Global Health adds international perspectives into the classroom in teaching this transboundary issue of climate change.
The way forward
With students urging action and AU’s strengths in place, expanding climate change and planetary health teaching in Medicine and across the health sciences is within reach. It requires curriculum design, faculty development, and institutional support. Importantly, AU already has teachers with the expertise and willingness to teach these topics, it is largely a question of whether the curriculum will make room.
Below are some practical steps AU can take now:
Infuse climate change and health topics throughout the curriculum: Instead of a single lecture, these topics should be integrated across medical courses. Public health and epidemiology can cover climate-sensitive diseases and disaster management, while clinical rotations can address cases shaped by climate factors, such as asthma during smog or heatstroke in emergency care.
Utilize AU’s Research and Resources in Teaching: We should make full use of our internal resources to create engaging learning experiences. The Climate Chambers can enrich learning by demonstrating scenarios and giving students direct experience of the changing climate. Local air pollution maps and Danish heatwave mortality studies can be used as course materials, making teaching relatable and relevant. Interdisciplinary lectures co-taught by climate scientists and public health experts can link climate science with medical practice. With centers like iClimate, AU is well positioned to break down silos and create joint teaching across medicine, public health, and environmental sciences.
Provide Faculty Development and Curricular Resources: Some faculty may feel unprepared teaching this domain. AU can address this through short training and workshops.
Empower Student Involvement and Interdisciplinary Learning: Students are key stakeholders and should help shape the curriculum. AU can establish a student-faculty working group to identify gaps, co-create content, and integrate climate-health topics, while students can also lead peer sessions such as lunchtime talks. Student advocacy has often driven change in medical schools, and AU can channel that energy into curricular innovation.
Integrate Global Perspectives and Partnerships: Climate change being a transboundary issue, students should see its health effects in different settings and learn from solutions developed elsewhere. Guest lectures, virtual classrooms, and exchanges can expose Danish students to these diverse responses, preparing them both for international work and for treating diverse patient populations in Denmark.
Expand Beyond Medicine a One Health & One AU Approach: Medical education is the focus area in this opinion piece, but climate change affects every health profession. Nursing, public health, dentistry and allied programmes should include climate competencies. Adopting a One Health perspective that links human, animal, and environmental health will prepare all health graduates to be climate-aware and strengthen resilience across the workforce.
This shift is urgent
AU can answer the students’ call and societal need by systematically integrating planetary health into medical and health sciences education. With committed students, expert faculty, strong research facilities, and global collaborations, we have a solid foundation. Student enthusiasm shows the next generation of medical doctors are ready, and faculty are committed to supporting them. Climate change is a present reality that medical trainees must be prepared to manage. By updating the curriculum now — aligned with global best practices and AU’s strengths — we can graduate clinicians who are also climate-conscious health leaders. They will protect patient health in a warming world, advise on prevention and adaptation, and advance sustainable healthcare. This shift is both academically necessary and practically urgent.
Tara Ballav Adhikari, postdoc, Research Unit for Environment, Occupation and Health & Research Unit for Global Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University
Jörg Schullehner, assistant professor, Research Unit for Environment, Occupation and Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University
Per Kallestrup, professor, Research Unit for Global Health, Department of Public Health Aarhus University
Vivi Schlünssen, professor, Research Unit for Environment, Occupation and Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University
Torben Sigsgaard, professor, Research Unit for Environment, Occupation and Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University