We’ve been witnessing an unprecedented scale of wildfires, floods, hurricanes, heat waves, and droughts in the last few years. The need for urgent and concrete measures against further climate change and the degradation of our environment has never been felt so strongly. It is abundantly clear that our health is inextricably linked with that of the planets’.

Ingrid Zuleta, expert at KIT Royal Tropical Institute, says: “We must do all we can to achieve climate justice through ambitious and equitable partnerships worldwide”. In doing so, she articulates the central message that the many participating KIT experts will put forward at the European Global Health Conference in Utrecht, ECTMIH2023.

This message is closely aligned with the acknowledgement that our health is directly linked to the health of our planet. This is also the theme of ECTMIH2023: shaping a future of equitable and sustainable planetary health.

At the ECTMIH2023, from 20 to 23 November, KIT is contributing its expertise so we can build on global health traditions to emphasise the importance of health equity and universal health coverage to ensure that all populations.

KIT is organising 11 sessions and 19 presentations for an audience of over 1500. An important focus for KIT’s Global Health team is our research on health systems in fragile contexts and conflict zones. Experts from KIT’s recently launched Centre for Health Systems in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings will be sharing several timely presentations including one on mental health in Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Power of Knowledge panel discussion

KIT is hosting two sessions at the ECTMIH Academy on the Sunday preceding the conference. And the day after the conference, we are hosting a Power of Knowledge panel discussion on the theme ‘Enacting climate action and response through meaningful partnerships’ at our historic monument in Amsterdam. We will continue the conversations we started at the conference during the panel discussion. Among other things, we will discuss the role that businesses and organisations play in climate action, and how we can achieve climate justice through ambitious and equitable partnerships.

Before and after the panel discussion, there is an opportunity to take a guided tour of the KIT’s historic building. This ‘Witness in Stone’ tour critically examines the colonial history of the building through 14 artworks in and around the building. Registration is free.