Welcome, New Alliance Members!
March 2024
PHA has grown once again this month, with new members including: Plant Based Treaty, World Health City Forum, OneVillage Partners, Gulf Medical University, University of Lisbon, Environment and Sustainability Research Initiative (ESRI), Innovation UNIT in sustainable development, health, and global justice through service learning, Jhpiego, and University of Bristol Medical School.
Plant Based Treaty: Their mission is to is to promote a shift towards a just, plant-based food system that would enable us to live safely within the planetary boundaries and reforest the Earth. They are creating bottom up pressure for a global Plant Based Treaty attached to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as well as working on public education campaigns and institutional menu changes. Their tools and trainings help others understand how the food system impacts Planetary Health and empower everyone to become advocates for a food system transformation. Their values incorporate deep ecology and climate justice, a democratic organizational structure, DEI, and a globally representative core team and local leadership development.
World Health City Forum: This forum platform is focused on regrowth, regeneration, and resilience. They held the first World Health Cities Forum in 2023 with the theme “Globalization of Risks, How to Make the World Safer?” They believe that just as human health and cities are inextricably linked, cities and human civilization are inextricably linked to the health of the planet. Their focus is to work on creating more resilient and sustainable cities.
OneVillage Partners: OneVillage Partners is a community-led development organization that aims to enhance the collective wellbeing of rural community members in Sierra Leone. They are joining PHA to engage in action-oriented discussions on the different forms that community-led conservation can take. They are particularly interested in the intersection of legal rights and land-use, and how communities can direct the preservation of their land on their own terms. They want to engage with partners to discuss what it means to measure the social impact of conservation, on an immediate local level and how that can inform conservation programming in the future. They want to see rural community members from across the global south with a louder voice in global conversations on Planetary Health and they aim to find like minded allies who can support and achieve this vision.
Gulf Medical University: Environmental accountability and One Health are this organization’s slogan. They work in this connection by focusing on the curriculum integration of climate change into healthcare curricula and health professions. They also work within their community to make them aware about the need to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and to reduce their collective carbon footprint. Finally, they engage clinician to create knowledge and skills to become more sustainable practitioners. They are looking forward to working and collaborating at the regional and global level.
University of Lisbon: The University of Lisbon (ULisboa) proudly joins PHA as a committed member, leveraging their multidisciplinary expertise and rich academic heritage to advance the crucial nexus of human health and environmental sustainability. Through their collaborative research, education, and community engagement initiatives, they aim to address the interconnected challenges facing the planet, promoting awareness, dialogue, and actionable solutions. By aligning with PHA’s mission and collaborating with its members, ULisboa seeks to drive positive change towards a healthier, more resilient future for all, where human well-being flourishes in harmony with the natural world.
Environment and Sustainability Research Initiative (ESRI): The Environment and Sustainability Research Initiative (ESRI) is committed to advancing Planetary Health through interdisciplinary research, education, and advocacy. By integrating environmental sustainability and human health considerations into their work, they strive to address the interconnected challenges facing the planet and its inhabitants. They are eager to collaborate with the Planetary Health community to leverage collective expertise and resources, foster innovation, and drive positive change towards a healthier and more sustainable future for all. Through their partnership with the Planetary Health Alliance, they aim to amplify their impact, share knowledge and best practices, and contribute to global efforts to promote Planetary Health.
Innovation UNIT in sustainable development, health, and global justice through service learning: The Unit of innovation in sustainable development, health and global justice through service-learning is committed to collaborate with the PHA in different areas linked to Planetary Health, providing data, disseminating the organization and developing projects. They are a unique organization that aims to facilitate “big wins” between global challenges and individual personal development through education.
Jhpiego: Through its work, Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, has considered the impact of climate in its calculus of lifesaving interventions, including investing in community health workers, championing strengthened primary health care systems, and using new service delivery models, technology, and early surveillance and detection programs in its health care projects around the world. They believe that their association with PHA will allow them to strengthen their approaches, deepen their impact and make a meaningful difference to the lives of mothers and babies.
University of Bristol Medical School: The University of Bristol Medical School is excited to collaborate with the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA) and its members on developing new ways to improve education for sustainable healthcare (ESH). The school is committed to ensuring that the next generation of healthcare practitioners have the ability to tend, not only to the individual but also the environmental implications of treatment in concert. Bristol Medical School would also like to learn from members of the PHA how they can optimise their current practice to best reflect their passion for sustainability.
