The II Barcelona Global Health Summer School focuses on climate change and its impact on human health

For the second year running, medical students from across the world gathered in Barcelona from 12 to 17 July to take part in the 2015 Global Health Summer School. With a focus on the relationship between climate change and human health, this second edition of the Summer School was organised by ISGlobal in collaboration with the Health Science Students' Association of Catalonia and the International Federation of Medical Students. As was confirmed by the international and national experts, it is clear that climate change exists and its most probable cause is human activity, but we still lack conclusive evidence on the impact it will have on human health.

The Summer School is an intensive 30 hour course, made up of interactive taught sessions, visits to environmental health research centres in Barcelona such as CREAL and IC3, a guided tour of the CosmoCaixa Barcelona science museum and other optional activities such as a mock Conference of the Parties. This two day workshop recreated the scene of the Conference of the Parties, a multilateral meeting held in 1997 within the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and which later led to the Kyoto Protocol. Thus, the students were able to put into practice their diplomacy and negotiation skills in relation to international treaties on climate preservation and human health.

Peter Populaire, a medical student from Lovaina (Belgium), sums up the students' experience, "thanks to the organizing committee, the volunteers, teachers and all those who have been involved, for the enormous efforts you have made to ensure [the course] is a total success. It wasn't only a learning experience for me but also (and equally important), a fun part of my holiday!"

More information:

Global Health Summer School

Photo Album to the 2nd edition (2015)