Now that the world's attention is focused on climate-change adaptation, it is essential for the health community to better understand the role that climate plays in driving disease burdens and affecting public health.

The International Research Institute for Climate and Society, in partnership with the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) and the Mailman School of Public Health are pleased to announce the Summer Institute 2009 course on ‘Climate Information for Public Health’. This two-week training course offers public health decision makers and their partners the opportunity to learn practical methods for integrating climate knowledge and information into decision making processes through expert lectures, special seminars, focused discussions and practical exercises.

The IRI is the premier global research and capacity building institution focused on the use of climate information in public health decision making. IRI is a collaborating center with WHO-PAHO on climate sensitive diseases and has active international partnerships concerning malaria, meningococcal meningitis, Rift Valley Fever and other diseases including an interest in dengue, diarrhoeal diseases and Kala-azar (leishmaniasis). The IRI and other members of Columbia University's Earth Institute (including Mailman School of Public Health, CIESIN and the Lamont campus) together combine extensive experience in environmental health, population mapping and modeling with remote sensing, climate prediction and the study of climate variability and change. Invited speakers will also contribute expert lectures and seminars.

The Summer Institute will expose participants to data, methods and tools for integrating climate change and climate variability into public health decision-making processes. It will include presentations, seminars, opportunities for participants to discuss integrated work with leaders in their respective fields, and to gain hands-on experience with analytic tools.