Throughout the blue health project, I was inspired by the work of ‘healthcare ocean’, an organisation who advocate for a healthcare system which is sustainable and supportive of blue health. Creating this collage of recycled medicine packets and various materials, allowed me to explore the impact healthcare industries and systems have on the ocean, from plastic and pharmaceutical waste, to container shipping pollution when transporting medical supplies.

I reflected on how as future healthcare professionals, we are often taught to ‘do no harm’ to the patients in front of us. However, our ‘blue footprint’ and harms on the planet are sparsely mentioned and there is limited teaching around how the health of our oceans is intrinsically linked with the health of our patients, communities, and people across the globe, with often the most marginalised groups most affected by the climate crisis.

Creating the short haiku poem allowed me to express the urgency of responding to the climate crisis and reflect my hope that our future healthcare systems will support and advocate for blue health.