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EIT Health: Pandemic underlines need for “One Health” approach

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The COVID-19 pandemic led to the loss of millions of lives and hit global economies hard, underlining the need to strengthen the “One Health” approach. In their manifesto for a healthy recovery from COVID-19, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stress that “One Health” has never been as vital as now.

They position health as a pillar of global security that is sustained through access to clean air and fresh water, safe food and healthy sustainable diets, and the availability of, and access to, medicines.

As we come together as a community in the aftermath of this global pandemic, we have an unprecedented opportunity to allow innovation to flourish. This requires the strengthening of cross-sectoral collaboration. It includes the need to increase policy coordination and coherence, supported by a more systematic use of robust scientific evidence.

We also need to develop integrated indicators and safeguards to address upstream drivers of disease, with a focus on prevention. These efforts will not only contribute to the prevention of future pandemics but will help to build more resilient and equitable systems, environments, economies, and societies.

As one of the EIT Communities, EIT Health shares the fundamental notion that innovation flourishes best when the right people are brought together to share expertise. We follow the principle of the ‘knowledge triangle’, which suggests an optimal environment for innovation is created when experts from business, research, and education work together as one.

Putting the theory into action requires a collaborative approach. So, we work across borders with over 280 partner organisations and thousands of start-ups and entrepreneurs, bringing together the brightest minds in healthcare to answer some of the biggest health challenges Europe faces. Through this unique approach, we are empowering a network of innovators to overcome barriers, challenge conventions and take action to put innovative products and services into the hands of those that need them the most.

On 21 September 2022, INNOVEIT Paris will put forward an unprecedented wave of coordinated initiatives that demonstrate new ambition and stamina, testifying to the elevation of health as an EU priority. The event will focus on four key themes:

  • How to secure the EU’s strategic autonomy: recovery through innovation and lessons from Europe’s response to the pandemic
  • How to address the scale-up financing gap: leveraging public and private co-investment capabilities to support promising EU-based start-ups/SMEs
  • How to tackle the talent gap in the health sector: the role of entrepreneurship and digital skills in boosting innovation in Europe
  • How to empower digital ecosystems: developing the Digital Health Single Market towards a European Health Data Space

This event is co-organised by EIT Health and EIT Manufacturing, with the support of EIT Food, EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Digital, and EIT Raw Materials.

Are you interested in attending the event? 

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