The rise of planetary health as an essential framework for addressing the intersecting challenges of human and environmental health has created a need for clarity. However, it is often confused with other important global frameworks, including global health, sustainable development goals (SDGs), Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), environmental health, and One Health. Each of these frameworks carries distinct objectives and approaches. The concept of Sejahtera, deeply embedded in Malaysia’s National Education Philosophy, offers a holistic lens that integrates not only physical and environmental health but also mental, social, and spiritual well-being. By streamlining these overlapping frameworks through Sejahtera, higher education can adopt a more balanced and culturally relevant approach to global well-being. This article explores the need for curriculum reform in higher education to incorporate both planetary health and Sejahtera.
Origins and Frameworks of Health and Sustainability
Each framework—whether it is planetary health, global health, or the SDGs—arose at different times in response to specific global challenges. Their individual inception dates and objectives highlight the need to integrate them into a coherent framework for education. This can be achieved by leveraging Sejahtera’s holistic approach.
Table 1 provides a comparative overview of these frameworks, outlining their origins, year of inception, time frames, and objectives.
Table 1: Comparison of Planetary Health, Global Health, ESD, One Health, Environmental Health, and SDGs
| Framework | Origin of Idea | Year Announced | Time Frame | Objective |
| Environmental Health | Rooted in public health practices of the 19th century, focusing on the relationship between environment and health. | 19th century, formalised mid-20th century | Ongoing | To manage and mitigate environmental risks to reduce the burden of disease and promote healthy living environments (WHO, 2021). |
| Global Health | Emerged from public health and international health efforts, particularly during the 20th century, and became well-established post-2000. | Mid-20th century but evolved into the modern concept in the 2000s. | Ongoing | To address health disparities and improve health equity by focusing on global health challenges, with an emphasis on disease prevention and access to healthcare. |
| One Health | Developed from the veterinary and medical sciences with a focus on human-animal-environment interactions, particularly zoonotic diseases. | Early 2000s | Ongoing | To achieve optimal health for humans, animals, and the environment through a multidisciplinary approach, particularly in the control of zoonotic diseases. |
| ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) | Introduced by UNESCO to incorporate sustainable development into education systems worldwide. | 2002 | Target 2030 | To foster knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours that promote sustainability across various aspects of society. |
| SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) | Evolved from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adopted by the United Nations to address a wide range of global challenges. | 2015 (UN General Assembly) | Target 2030 | To create a comprehensive framework for sustainable development, addressing poverty, inequality, climate change, and health through 17 interconnected goals. |
| Planetary Health | Initiated by the Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission, focusing on the connection between human health and the state of natural ecosystems. | 2015 | Ongoing | To safeguard human health by preserving the integrity of the Earth’s natural systems, recognising the importance of maintaining ecological balance to support human well-being. |
Sejahtera: Clarifying Overlapping Frameworks
Sejahtera offers a valuable framework that can help clarify the confusion between these overlapping global health and sustainability frameworks. Malaysia’s National Education Philosophy highlights the importance of fostering holistic well-being, which encompasses not only intellectual development but also emotional, spiritual, and physical balance. The National Education Philosophy emphasizes the creation of balanced individuals who contribute to societal harmony and well-being based on faith, knowledge, and a sense of responsibility (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2021).
This philosophy resonates with planetary health’s emphasis on sustainability and human health, but Sejahtera extends it by adding a spiritual and ethical dimension that is often absent in other global frameworks. By integrating Sejahtera into higher education curricula, universities can foster a more holistic approach that addresses not only the scientific and medical aspects of planetary health but also its cultural and spiritual dimensions.
Curriculum Reform: Integrating Sejahtera and Planetary Health
To achieve this integration, universities must shift toward interdisciplinary learning that incorporates the social, spiritual, and cultural dimensions of well-being alongside environmental and health sciences.
Incorporating Sejahtera and planetary health requires fostering a curriculum that moves beyond a purely scientific understanding of environmental health. For example, medical students could be taught about the impacts of environmental degradation on mental health, while also exploring the spiritual practices that help individuals and communities cope with these challenges. Case-based learning can be employed to engage students in real-world scenarios where they must balance scientific knowledge with ethical and spiritual considerations.
Sustainability projects on university campuses can also provide hands-on learning opportunities, allowing students to apply planetary health and Sejahtera principles to create green spaces, conserve energy, and promote community resilience. These projects help students understand the practical applications of sustainability while also fostering a sense of responsibility toward the environment and society.
Streamlining Frameworks for a Coherent Educational Approach
Given the frequent confusion between planetary health and other frameworks like global health, the SDGs, and One Health, integrating Sejahtera provides a unifying philosophy that clarifies these overlapping areas. Sejahtera’s focus on holistic balance offers a cohesive framework that brings together the strengths of each of these approaches, providing students with a clear and integrated understanding of how they can promote sustainable well-being. By incorporating Sejahtera into higher education curricula, universities can ensure that students are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to tackle the world’s most pressing environmental and health challenges.
Conclusion
Incorporating Sejahtera and planetary health into higher education curricula offers a transformative opportunity to promote a holistic and integrated approach to global health and sustainability. While planetary health provides the scientific foundation for understanding the relationship between human health and the environment, Sejahtera adds a culturally grounded framework that promotes harmony between humans, nature, and society. This alignment with Malaysia’s National Education Philosophy ensures that future generations are equipped not only to address the environmental and health challenges of our time but also to foster spiritual and ethical well-being in their personal and professional lives.
Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in this article were generated with assistance from ChatGPT, an AI language model.
References
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