The Open University of Catalonia (UOC), the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) will hold next February 1, the conference “Planetary Health: a new paradigm that unites the health of people and the planet”. The event, which requires prior registration, will begin at 16:00 (CET) and will be broadcast live on their YouTube channel.
A new paradigm that challenges us all
According to Cristina O’Callaghan, co-director of the homonymous interuniversity master’s degree, planetary health proposes a new paradigm where it is clear that “the health of humans and the health of ecosystems cannot be separated”. Therefore, “whatever we do to improve our health must be good for the health of the planet“.
“Anything that we do to improve our health must be good for the health of the planet”
Cristina O’Callaghan, co-director of the Master’s Degree in Planetary Health
Thus, the main objective of the conference will be to bring together people interested in this new paradigm to address the challenges of the global climate and environmental crisis and its impact on people’s health.
According to O’Callaghan, “Planetary Health involves more than the experts in life sciences. That is why it is very important to engage people who work in social sciences, economics, governance, etc. because they have a very important role to play in understanding the problems and implementing solutions».
The event
The event will be hosted by the journalist and science writer Cori Calero and will include an interview with the expert in Planetary Health and specialist in environmental medicine, Howard Frumkin. In addition, it will include the intervention of the co-directors and professors of the master’s degree, Josep Maria Antó, Cristina O’Callaghan, F. Xavier Medina, Carlos Faerron and Mireia Gascon, the rectors of both universities, Josep A. Planell and Oriol Amat, and the director of the ISGlobal, Antoni Plasència. Finally, the event will feature the testimony of the first students of the Master who began studying it in October 2021.
Check the details of the event and the Master’s Degree in Planetary Health on the websites of the organizing entities.