Evaluating the impact of a longitudinal, integrated climate change, health, and environment curriculum in undergraduate medical training at Harvard Medical School

Over 230 medical journals and the World Health Organization have declared climate change the defining public health challenge of the 21st century. Anthropogenic climate change has placed unprecedented stress on ecological and human adaptation, increasing the risk of crossing irreversible tipping points. Climate change is resulting in worsening heatwaves, extreme weather events, disruptions in reliable access to clean water and nutritious foods, geographic redistribution of infectious diseases, and mass human displacement. The health consequences of these impacts span every specialty and health system, with staggering health impacts. In 2021, an estimated 8.1 million deaths globally were associated with exposure to air pollution, largely attributable to fossil fuel combustion and nearly 500,000 deaths globally were associated with exposure to excess heat.