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Surgical Education Within Planetary Health Curricula: A Global Environmental Scan (2022-2025)
Rosemary Vayalikunnel1,2, Poliana Zanotto Manoel2,3, Agnes Zanotto Manoel2,3
1Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|October 29, 2025
Summary
Planetary health courses (PHCs) are scarce globally, with few addressing surgery's environmental impact. More accessible, surgery-focused planetary health education is needed to reduce healthcare's climate footprint.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Medical Education
- Public Health
Background:
- Operating rooms (ORs) have a significant environmental footprint, yet OR teams often lack awareness of unsustainable practices.
- Integrating planetary health into clinical education is supported by research, but data on course availability and content is limited.
- There is a growing need to address the global surgical burden of disease and its environmental consequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the global availability and accessibility of planetary health courses (PHCs).
- To identify the extent of surgical content within existing planetary health curricula.
- To highlight the need for improved planetary health education in surgery.
Main Methods:
- Conducted an environmental scan of planetary health courses worldwide.
- Reviewed curricula from top universities across global regions.
- Cross-referenced existing course collections and evaluated courses based on type, cost, language, and surgical content.
Main Results:
- Identified 248 planetary health courses, predominantly at the graduate level and offered in English.
- Courses were concentrated in North America and Europe.
- Only four identified courses included content on planetary health and surgery.
Conclusions:
- There is a significant gap in surgical content within current planetary health education.
- There is a critical need to develop comprehensive, accessible, and globally representative courses on the environmental impacts of surgical care.
- Addressing the environmental footprint of ORs requires enhanced awareness and education among surgical teams.
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