ALLEA Discusses ‘One Health’ at Akademientag 2024

On 6 November 2024, ALLEA participated as an official partner in “Akademientag“, an event organised by the Union of Academies, an association of eight German science academies. Titled “Living in Healthy Cities – Living Healthy in Cities”, the event brought together experts to examine the complex interactions between urban environments and health from an interdisciplinary perspective.

With rapid urbanisation and demographic shifts, the focus on healthy cities has never been more relevant. Held at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the event offered a range of formats addressing current science issues to a growing audience interested in understanding and improving urban health. The event saw over 300 attendees, a turnout that exceeded expectations and highlights the growing interest in the Akademientag.

At the ‘Europe Table’, ALLEA invited participants to a lively exchange with two experts on the One Health approach: Tuomas Aivelo, from the Finnish Research Council (Suomen Akatemia), and Antje Kohlrusch, a representative of the City of Munich’s health department. The experts challenged participants’ vision of healthy cities and provided insights on how the One Health approach can be implemented from the European to the city level. The opportunity to bridge the conceptual framework of One Health at the EU level with practical examples from the city of Munich proved to be particularly valuable. The topic of urban health was explored from diverse perspectives, including urban planning, nutrition, mobility, architecture, and historical views of cities, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of creating healthier urban environments

As part of the programme, ALLEA Vice-President Annette Grüters-Kieslich co-hosted discussions comparing healthy cities across Europe. Professor Grüters-Kieslich remarked, “In Europe, 75% of the population lives in cities, facing a complex mix of challenges including mobility, pollution, noise, social disparities, isolation, and violence. This intersection of factors influences the health and well-being of everyone, but there is a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups, such as children, adolescents, and the elderly, for whom targeted solutions are urgently needed. European cities need to learn from each other and share best practices to develop a cohesive strategy for improved population health outcomes. The collaboration across disciplines and borders that the ‘One Health’ approach necessitates is a core priority for ALLEA, which brings together expertise from over 40 academies across Europe in its mission to foster innovation in science and evidence-based policy.”

“The collaboration across disciplines and borders that the ‘One Health’ approach necessitates is a core priority for ALLEA, which brings together expertise from over 40 academies across Europe in its mission to foster innovation in science and evidence-based policy.” 

– Professor Annette Grüters-Kieslich, ALLEA Vice-President