How can One Sustainable Health governance help societies cope with escalating climate, biodiversity, and public health risks?
📍 Davos – Frontiers Science House | 🗓 Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | ⏰ 7:00–10:00 pm
As climate, health, and ecological crises intensify, one thing is clear: fragmented responses are no longer sufficient. In Davos, scientific leaders, civil society, and decision-makers came together to advocate for an integrated health governance model grounded in the One Sustainable Health approach.
Summary – Championing One Sustainable Health for Global Resilience
🌍 Health, climate, biodiversity: one shared reality, yet responses remain too fragmented.
Discussions in Davos highlighted a clear reality: our societies are already facing the combined impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and health crises—yet we still struggle to fully understand these mechanisms and translate them into effective public policy action.
💊 Pollution, antimicrobials, and health
Participants emphasized that while it is widely known that consumed medicines eventually end up in soils and water, their real impacts on ecosystems, microbiomes, and human health remain largely unknown. For example, hospital effluents, poultry and pig farming, and the lack of wastewater treatment in many municipalities significantly contribute to the spread of resistant microorganisms—later found in plants, food, animals, and human populations.
🦟 Climate change and infectious diseases
The link between climate disruption and vector-borne diseases is well documented. Mosquitoes—a major priority for the Global Fund—clearly illustrate this dynamic: between 20 and 40 species can transmit malaria. Climate change alters their behavior, favoring heat-resistant species; some now bite during the daytime, rendering traditional tools such as bed nets less effective. Flooding, in particular, accelerates the spread of malaria and other diseases.
🧪 Data, surveillance, and anticipation
The discussion stressed the urgent need to share data, especially laboratory data, to better anticipate health crises. Innovative initiatives were mentioned, such as monitoring infectious agents in wastewater or even in airplane toilets, to better understand pandemic flows at the global level. Monitoring human and environmental activities along rivers, as close as possible to local communities, also appears essential. Such a project is currently underway in Africa.
🗣️ Making impact visible to generate political momentum
One key message emerged: without a clear and simple understanding of the problem, there is neither political decision-making nor funding. Clear, accessible communication is central—antimicrobial resistance is a striking example. Demonstrating the direct impact on populations, particularly deaths linked to the lack of access to effective treatments for resistant infections, is a powerful lever for action. Climate change is further accelerating this crisis.
🚰 Often invisible yet essential actors
Finally, a strong reminder: municipal water and sanitation engineers and managers are, on a daily basis, among those who do the most to protect public health. Investing in water and sanitation infrastructure is one of the most effective actions for a healthy planet and healthy populations.
👉 Conclusion: the more we adopt an integrated, data-driven One Sustainable Health approach, the more levers we will have to prevent, anticipate, and respond effectively to systemic crises.
Speakers:
- Dr Lise Korsten, President of the African Academy of Sciences
- Prof. Dr Ramanan Laxminarayan, President of the One Health Trust, Princeton University
- Benoît Miribel, President of the One Sustainable Health for All Foundation
- Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund
Moderator:
Vanina Laurent-Ledru, Director of Public Health Affairs and Institutional Relations, Institut Mérieux / bioMérieux
With the support of
