"Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity."

— Pope Francis during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, September 25, 2015.

This month marks a major milestone for the Planetary Health movement — PHA has surpassed 500 member organizations across 80+ countries! Our members are the driving force of this transdisciplinary movement, and we are energized by our shared commitment to protect and regenerate Earth’s natural systems for the health of all people.

As we celebrate 10 years of Planetary Health with our campaign, “A Decade of Planetary Health Impact, A Future of Hope and Action,” we’re thrilled to launch a refreshed website and newsletter designed to make it easier to discover, connect, and share your Planetary Health resources and updates. We're also excited to announce a record-breaking 436 abstract submissions for the Planetary Health Annual Meeting 2025 (#PHAM2025) — more than double of last year's count! Register today to join us in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, October 7–10, for this thought-provoking global gathering.

PHA’s engagement is soaring – both on our new website and social media – thanks in part to our newest infographics we’ve shared for Global Public Health Week and Earth Day. We invite you to share these visuals in your presentations, classrooms, and communities to help amplify our shared message. These milestones reflect the growing momentum behind the Planetary Health movement – and the transformative action we’re building together at the intersection of human health and global environmental change.

Now is the moment for #PlanetaryHealth to shine—thank you for being part of this growing global community. Explore the full newsletter here with an expanded selection of recent resources, opportunities, and events. Don’t forget to let us know what you think of the new website!

Take Action

• Planetary Health community: Register for PHAM 2025 to join the global conversation on how we can collectively address the pressing challenges facing our planet.
• Lead the global movement for Planetary Health. Apply to be the next Executive Director of the Planetary Health Alliance and Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health.
• Share Planetary Health infographics and use them in presentations and educational materials. 

Promoting planetary health and well-being for all: Harnessing indigenous knowledges for health with traditional, complementary and integrative health systems

G. Seifert et al. (April 2025) reviewed how Indigenous knowledges and traditional healing systems can support Planetary Health and well-being. They found that over 40% of modern drugs (like Metformin and Aspirin) originate from natural sources tied to these systems. The researchers suggest that by including holistic, culturally rooted approaches in public health, we can improve access to care, particularly in marginalized communities.

Frontiers in Medicine

Childhood air pollution exposure is related to cognitive, educational and mental health outcomes in childhood and adolescence: A longitudinal birth cohort study

M. Hobbs et al. (June 2025) used historical air pollution data from New Zealand to examine how prenatal and childhood exposure to air pollution (measured via black smoke levels) affects cognitive, educational, and mental health outcomes from birth to age 18. The researchers found that children with persistently high exposure or high prenatal/postnatal exposure had up to 3.1 times higher odds of attentional problems, while those with elevated preschool exposure had 64% lower odds of receiving a secondary school certificate and nearly 5 times higher odds of substance abuse in adolescence.

Environmental Research

Clean Air, Healthy Lives: A Policy Roadmap for Health Systems to Tackle Air Pollution 

S. Narayan et al. (March 2025) created a policy roadmap based on case studies from 10+ countries to show how health systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries, can address air pollution by integrating health impact assessments, early warning systems, air quality monitoring, and community engagement into their operations. The report highlights tools like WHO’s AirQ+ software, which linked over 600 deaths to air pollution in Trinidad and Tobago in 2019.

Global Climate and Health Alliance / Clean Air Fund

Executive Director - PHA/JHIPH 

The Planetary Health Alliance and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health are seeking an experienced Executive Director to drive global health initiatives, manage a diverse team and a $3.5M+ budget, and strengthen strategic partnerships. Applicants should hold a terminal degree and have 10+ years of relevant leadership experience.

Apply by May 9, 2025. Hybrid role based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, with regular meetings in Washington, D.C. 

Spatial Thinking: Inspiring Action through Place-Based Solutions 

The National Geographic Society invites proposals for a funding opportunity supporting projects that use spatial thinking to address place-based challenges related to Planetary Health and other key focus areas. Projects should leverage geospatial tools, maps, and community knowledge to develop educational solutions.

Apply by May 5, 2025. 

World Health Assembly: One World for Health

This assembly will bring together delegations from all World Health Organization (WHO) Member States to determine health policy priorities, review the program budget, and guide the overall direction of WHO.

May 19-27, 2025. In-person in Geneva, Switzerland. By invitation only. Sessions will be streamed on WHO’s website.

Climate Change and Health Boot Camp: Building Skills and Knowledge for Effective Engagement

This course aims to train clinicians, researchers, and public health professionals on the health impacts of climate change and how to apply mitigation and adaptation strategies in their work. It is hosted by Columbia University's Skills for Health and Research Professionals Program and Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education.

June 4-6, 2025, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM EDT (2:00-9:00 PM UTC). Online. Register.

47 million health workers and advocates call for cleaner air to curb pollution deaths

At the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Colombia, over 47 million health professionals, patients, and advocates joined together to call for urgent action on clean air. Delegates from 50+ countries pledged to invest in renewable energy, sustainable transport, and stronger air quality standards—aiming to cut air pollution’s impact by 50% by 2040 and address the nearly seven million premature deaths caused by polluted air each year. Read.

The Case for Planetary Health

Dr. Sam Myers, Director of the Planetary Health Alliance, explores humanity’s impact on the natural world—and calls for bold, collective action to create a healthier, more just, and livable future for all. Watch.

Resistance rising: 1.14 million

This podcast explores the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, with experts discussing how chemicals and microbes from waste contribute to its rise in the environment. Listen.

WATCH OUR STORY

The "Promise of Planetary Health" video, a collaboration between PHA, World Wildlife Fund, and Harvard University Center for the Environment, tells the story of our role in transforming Earth's natural systems over time, framing its Planetary Health impacts and the urgent need for global regeneration, healing, and action.