Foundation for Professional Development
Heat Health Preparedness and Response (HHPR): Building a Climate Smart Health Workforce
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Short course
Course type
12 hrs
Study time
Online
Mode of learning
12 CPD points
12 Clinical
(70% average required)
(70% average required)
Course overview
Extreme heat is no longer just an environmental issue - it is a growing frontline health emergency that affects patients, services, and entire health systems. Without the right knowledge and response, delays in recognition, decision-making, and coordination can lead to preventable harm.
Heat Health Preparedness and Response (HHPR): Building a Climate Smart Health Workforce is a practical, engaging course designed to equip health professionals with the skills to anticipate, recognise, and respond to heat-related risks. Across nine integrated modules, you will build climate-health literacy, understand how heat affects health and health systems, recognise early warning signs of heat illness, and apply prevention strategies to protect vulnerable groups. The course progresses to advanced skills in clinical decision-making under pressure, interpreting heat-health guidelines, and coordinating effective facility and system responses.
You will also learn how to implement heat-safe clinic operations, develop SOPs and facility heat plans, and monitor preparedness to strengthen resilience over time. Learning is reinforced through a final integrated case-based assessment, requiring a minimum of 70% to earn CPD points.
This 100% online course requires approximately 12 hours to complete and is accredited for 12 HPCSA CPD points.
Who is this course for?
South African Doctors, Nurses, Community Health Workers, Clinical support staff, Emergency/frontline responders, Facility managers
Required qualification
Healthcare Profession Qualification
Course level
Intermediate
Develop your professional skills
Why choose this course?
- Practice-driven, real-world learning: Focuses on what frontline health workers must do during extreme heat i.e. recognising early warning signs, making safe decisions under pressure, and protecting vulnerable patients.
- Directly relevant to your role: Designed for frontline and health-system professionals, with practical skills that can be applied immediately in clinics, communities, and health services.
- Essential heat-health competencies: Builds your ability to recognise heat illness early, prevent deterioration, respond to heat alerts, and support safe, coordinated service delivery.
- Strengthen facility and system readiness: Equips you to implement SOPs, heat-action plans, and a simple monitoring system to improve preparedness and response during heat events.
About the academic institution
Foundation for Professional Development (FPD) is a South African Private Institution of Higher Education established in October 1997 by the South African Medical Association and has been registered with the DHET since 2002.
600 000+
Students
29
Years
110
countries
FPD contact info
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Course Lessons
Course developers & authors
Dr Gloria Maimela
Dr
Dr Maimela is a medical doctor and public health specialist with over 20 years of clinical experience, specialising in health systems strengthening, HIV/AIDS, TB, and climate and health. She is the CEO of FPD, where she oversees research, HSS, and strategic programmes, and leads the Climate Change and Health unit. She has held senior roles at Wits RHI and serves on multiple national and regional boards and advisory platforms.
Dileep Mavalankar
Prof
Prof. Dileep Mavlankar is the former Director of the Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (2012–2023) and a leading public health expert. He holds qualifications from Gujarat University and Johns Hopkins University. He has held academic and advisory roles globally, including with WHO, World Bank, and UNICEF. Prof. Mavlankar has authored over 200 publications and led the development of the Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan, now scaled across India.
Shobna Sawry
Mrs
Mrs Shobna Sawry is a senior researcher specialising in the intersection of climate change and maternal and child health, building on extensive experience in HIV and TB research among pregnant women and children. She has led major studies, including the HAPI project in South Africa and Zimbabwe, and the HIGH Horizons study, focusing on heat exposure, health outcomes, and the development of adaptation interventions and early warning systems.
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Sponsorship
Provided by an educational grant from SALGA in partnership with National Treasury Cities Support Programme, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the Foundation for Professional Development.
Student testimonials
FPD is the best learning platform I found so far. I was pleasantly surprised with the possibilities.
FPD is the best learning platform I found so far. I was pleasantly surprised with the possibilities.
FPD is the best learning platform I found so far. I was pleasantly surprised with the possibilities.
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