We Asked, You Answered: What Are PHA Members Doing?

Joanna Wagner | Community Building & Outreach Coordinator

Here at the PHA, members are at the core of our operations. It is through our global member community of almost 350 organizations that the PHA is able to channel Planetary Health science, stories, and solutions to the most pressing issues of our time into direct action across organizational, regional, and global levels. In our most recent member survey, we asked our members to provide updates on their institutions’ major activities related to Planetary Health and engagement with the PHA.

Thanks to 57 member responses, we were able to summarize the information we received into the following five areas of activity:

1. Education and training, including postgraduate programs, tool development for general practitioners, and integration of planetary health into various curriculums.

2. Research, including on topics such as environmental sciences, agriculture, medical sciences, social sciences, law, and education.

3. Community and youth engagement, including working with environmental clubs, school, and community-based projects.

4. Collaboration with the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA) network, including using PHA’s educational framework and case studies, and participating in PH activities on the national level.

5. Advocacy and awareness-raising, including working against environmentally harmful projects, hosting side events at conferences and speaking engagements at events and conferences.

Examples of activities members undertook in 2022 included, but were not limited to:

• Advocating against the building of a minerals processing and petrochemicals plant on Darwin Harbor
• Facilitating and co-facilitating events, workshops and discussions on Planetary Health
• Offering mentorship and educational resources on public health and Planetary Health
• Implementing and supporting cross-sector, holistic health-environment programs in various countries
• Integrating Planetary Health in nursing curriculums
• Collaborating with and promoting concepts of Planetary Health through journals and publications
• Representing and promoting Planetary Health at regional and national meetings
• Focusing on health, biodiversity conservation, research, and livelihoods
• Developing and implementing community-based solutions to address social determinants of health
• Conducting research, teaching, and providing community services
• Promoting sustainable development through sustainable studies
• Gathering local interest and implementing proof of concepts for sustainable living and environmental conservation
• Empowering students to take action and learn about Planetary Health through electronic educational materials
• Advancing the health of current and future generations through climate communication and public awareness campaigns
• Building platforms to join forces with relevant actors from society, politics, science, and business.

… and more! We’re so impressed by the work that our members do to grow the field of Planetary Health, mainstream it, and facilitate meaningful change in policy, education, research, and more. A huge thank you to all of our members — we look forward to another wonderful year.