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Climate–Smart Primary Care: A hands-on case-based quiz for clinicians across regions

WednesdayJuly 1st3:00 - 4:00231 / 232 M

Jörg SCHMID and Ozden GOKDEMIR

According to the WHO, climate change is the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century, shaping disease distribution, patient vulnerability, and healthcare demands. Family doctors are increasingly confronted with climate-related conditions ranging from heat-associated illness and vector-borne infections to air-pollution–driven respiratory disease and post-disaster health challenges. Yet many primary care professionals lack structured, evidence-based tools to integrate climate exposure into clinical reasoning and patient counselling. This workshop addresses this gap by offering an innovative, quiz-driven, case-based learning experience grounded in real scenarios from diverse climatic regions that can be applied in all regions.By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to: 1) Recognise clinical presentations influenced by climate and environmental change<br> 2) Apply climate-sensitive reasoning in diagnosis, management, and prevention within primary care<br> 3) Analyse regional variations in climate-related health outcomes and adapt their approach accordingly<br> 4) Collaborate to formulate climate-informed clinical questions and local action strategies<br> 5) Integrate principles of climate awareness and sustainability into routine family practice to enhance community resilience.The workshop uses an interactive quiz-based case format to actively engage participants. Small groups will receive clinical scenarios representing distinct climatic contexts—such as extreme heat, vector expansion, air pollution, or flood-related infectious risks. Groups will identify key risk factors, develop short quiz questions, and propose management strategies. Facilitators will guide discussions to ensure a strong scientific and evidence-based link between climate phenomena and health outcomes. A plenary session will synthesise insights across groups, reinforcing key messages and take-home tools. Workshop schedule:<br> 10 min – Introduction and Planetary Health<br> 20 min – Group case discussions (4 cases)<br> 20 min – Plenary sharing and synthesis<br> 10 min – Wrap-up, take-aways and reflectionParticipants will gain practical skills in climate-informed clinical reasoning, adaptive decision-making, and interprofessional collaboration. They will receive a curated resource list and be invited to join a global learning network for continued engagement in climate medicine.This workshop equips family physicians with actionable knowledge, confidence, and practical strategies to address climate-related health challenges and to promote sustainable, resilient primary care in a rapidly changing world.