PHA is building a global planetary health community that crosses sectors, disciplines, generations, and geographies. To this end, the PHA is committed to expanding its membership and facilitating PHA regional hubs around the world. Independently led PHA regional hubs function as locally rooted communities of practice, stitching together PHA members within geographic clusters to collaboratively advance planetary health research, education, policy, and outreach pertinent to specific local contexts.

As momentum in planetary health continues to build around the world, PHA members have increasingly expressed interest in:
1) expanding regional collaboration and solution-building;

2) assessing local manifestations of planetary health challenges and sharing these case studies with the broader global community;

3) applying planetary health research to local policy, on-the-ground interventions, and public outreach efforts;
   
4) broadening regional participation in PHA initiatives.

PHA Regional Hubs 2.0

There is increasing demand among the planetary health community for intra and inter-regional collaboration. To expand capacity, the PHA has worked to evolve its regional initiatives to launch PHA Regional Hubs 2.0. Launching in April 2021, the PHA Regional Hub Network will include:

• Sub-Saharan Africa (Eastern, Central, Western, and Southern Africa)
• Northern Africa and the Middle East
• Europe
• Eurasia and Central Asia
• Southern and South-Eastern Asia
• Eastern Asia
• Oceania
• Latin America
• Northern America
• The Caribbean

Why Take Part in the PHA Regional Hubs?

1) Access to a global network of planetary health regional hubs (including knowledge-sharing, streamlined technologies, and shared metrics)

2) Knowing “who is doing what where” around the world

3) Regional representation in the PHA and planetary health at-large

4) Access to the planetary health online community for networking and project management for collaborative projects (launching in April 2021)

5) The ability to adapt and scale PHA resources and planetary health projects to specific regions and contexts

Examples of Regional Hub Activities

Hosting both virtual and in-person regional workshops and events

• Organizing opportunities to convene to discuss local planetary health challenges and solutions
• Coordinating specific task force meetings to advance research projects or other initiatives
• Hosting webinars around key local issues
• Creating opportunities for the public to learn about planetary health through public lectures, film screenings, photography exhibits, etc.
  
  

Providing forums for sharing resources, best practices, and opportunities 

• Creating email lists, subgroups of the PHA online community on Hylo, Facebook group, LinkedIn group, or some other forums for members of the regional community to engage with one another virtually
  
  

Leading public outreach efforts 

• Creating, adapting, translating, and disseminating informational public-facing resources
• Creating local campaigns focused on individual- and community-level action to address planetary health challenges
• Sharing opportunities for public participation in research initiatives or local interventions
  
  

Engaging in local on-the-ground interventions 

• Identifying specific planetary health challenges manifesting regionally that can be addressed through local action
  
  

Working with local governments 

• Sharing planetary health research with policymakers
• Collaborating with government entities to create policies that advance planetary health
• Engaging in advocacy
  
  

Engaging with local businesses 

• Finding opportunities for collaboration with local innovators
• Identifying opportunities to challenge existing business practices that are detrimental to planetary health
  
  

Creating educational resources and opportunities 

• Translating existing planetary health educational resources
• Creating new coursework and degree programs at local universities and primary/secondary schools
• Creating opportunities for students and early career professionals to get engaged in planetary health through internships or jobs
  
  

And more…

Questions?

For questions related to the PHA's Regional Hubs program, please contact Jeremy Pivor, the PHA's Senior Program Coordinator, at jeremypivor@g.harvard.edu