One Health for Cities Conference

Edited on 17/11/2025

Join the One Health for Cities Conference 
10 December 2025, Brussels


The One Health for Cities Conference is a full-day event bringing together cities, local and European policymakers, experts, researchers, and urban enthusiasts to tackle the most pressing challenges in implementing One Health in urban settings. Participants will exchange cutting-edge knowledge, explore practical tools, and collaboratively generate actionable recommendations, fostering constructive dialogue between science, policy, and civil society.


The conference will be structured in two main sessions:


•       One Health for Cities, From Policy to Action
•       One Health, A Necessary Evolution for Future Cities


Why One Health in Cities?


One Health embraces the vital interconnections between human, animal, and environmental health. Applying this approach at the city level offers a proactive, strategic framework that aligns human well-being with ecosystem health, mitigates long-term risks, and enhances overall quality of life.


This conference will spotlight the achievements of the One Health 4 Cities Network, address urgent urban health issues, and foster collective reflection on the future of cities through a global health lens.


This event is a unique opportunity to shape the urban health agenda of tomorrow!

 

Open to a wider public

Brussels , Belgium

10 December 2025

URBACT Network

Go to registration!

Planning


MORNING SESSION: One Health, From Policy to Action (09:00 – 13:00)
Location: PianoFabriek, Rue du Fortstraat 35, 1060 St-Gillis, Brussels


This session will raise awareness among city makers about the importance and feasibility of the One Health approach in urban areas. It will showcase practical implementation strategies, from high-level planning to operational execution, supported by case studies from network cities, insights from the Essentials Guidebook for City Makers, and the Toolbox developed by network partners.


This session is ideal for city officers, researchers, local policymakers, or interested stakeholders seeking actionable ways to implement One Health in their urban context.


AFTERNOON SESSION: One Health, A Necessary Evolution for Cities Towards the Future (15:00 – 18:00)
Location: European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, B-1047, Brussels
 

This session will appeal to EU decision makers, highlighting the need to integrate the One Health approach into EU policies, regulations, funding mechanisms, and cooperation systems. It will feature scientific evidence and results from local implementations, alongside outputs from the One Health 4 Cities Network.


This session is designed for local and EU policymakers, decision makers, and stakeholders in sustainable urban development who are seeking holistic solutions for urgent urban challenges.

 

 

European Partners

 

 

City Partners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



SESSION 1: One Health from Policy to Action 
Location: PianoFabriek, Rue du Fortstraat 35, 1060 St-Gillis, Brussels

TIME

TOPICS

SPEAKERS
09:00 - 09:20Registration & Welcome coffee 
09:20 - 09:35Opening & Welcome remarks

Sofia Aivalioti, Lead Expert, One Health 4 Cities 

 

Marlène Dussauge, Network Coordinator, One Health 4 Cities

 

Clémentine Gravier, Head of Unit network and capacity building, URBACT Secretariat 

09:35-09:45Quiz: One Health Basics 
09:45 - 10:15

Why One Health matters in cities? 

  • The importance of One Health in cities

  • How does Lyon lead One Health in practice

Marie Macauley, Learning Specialist - Healthy Cities Flagship, WHO academy
 

Anne-Lise Chaber, Learning Specialist - One Health Flagship, WHO academy
 

Céline de Laurens, Deputy Mayor in charge of health, prevention and environmental health, City of Lyon

10:15- 11:00

One Health in Motion, Leading City Examples
 

  • City of Kuopio: Capital of Good Life and One Health
     
  • Municipality of Loulé: Informal sports for human health, nature and climate change awareness
     
  • Municipality of Suceava: The regeneration of the riverbank 
     
  • Municipality of Elefsina: Nursing the seeds of the future
     
  • City of Lahti: Nature Step to Health Programme

 

 

Kati Vähäsarja, Manager, well-being promotion, City of Kuopio

 

Tiago Guadalupe, European and sport projects coordinator, Municipality of Loulé

 

Laura Morar, Principal advisor at the European projects services, Municipality of Suceava

 

Spiros Elefsiniotis, Head of environment and circular economy department, Municipality of Elefsina

 

Pekka Komu, Chair of the City Board, City of Lahti

11:00- 11:20

Coffee Break

 
11:20 - 11:30Bringing holistic regional governance to One HealthMarju Prass, Project coordinator "One Health Gov", Lahti University campus
11:30 - 11:50

One Health 4 Cities Results: 

The Guidebook and Toolbox for City Makers 

Sofia Aivalioti, Lead Expert, One Health 4 Cities
11:50 - 12:50

Interactive Workshops: 

Test the One Health Toolbox 


Side Event - Political Track: 

Implementing One Health in Our Territories: Challenges and Pathways Forward

Sofia Aivalioti, Lead Expert, One Health 4 Cities

 

Marlène Dussauge, Network Coordinator, One Health 4 Cities

12:50 - 13:00 Wrap-up and Logistics Briefing  
13:00-14:00Lunch  
14:00 - 14:30 Bus transfer to the European Parliament  

 



SESSION 2: One Health, a necessary evolution towards the future

Location: European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, B-1047, Brussels

TIME

TOPICS

SPEAKERS

15:00 - 15:25

Opening

Tilly Metz, Member of the European Parliament

 

Grégory Doucet, Mayor of Lyon, Lead partner of the One Health 4 Cities Network

15:25 - 16:05

The interconnectedness of One Health in urban settings  :

 

  • Climate change and One Health nexus, example of the European Climate and Health Observatory 
     
  • One Health in urban areas : Co-benefits and costs of non-action 
     
  • Pandemic-proof cities : a multidisciplinary approach for systemic impacts and One Health 

Panagiota Filippou, Policy Officer, Unit A1, DG SANTE, European commission

 

Fabrice Vavre, Researcher at the CNRS in evolutionary biology, Director of the laboratory of biometry and evolutionary biology

 

Emilia Rönkkö, Research & Innovation for Built Environment, Senior Researcher & Project Manager, University of Eastern Finland, Faculty of Health Sciences

16:05 - 16:30

One Health in the Urban Context: What the One Health 4 Cities Network Shows Us 

 

  • Municipality of Benissa:  The first town in Spain integrating the One Health approach into its local strategy 

     

  • Eurometropolis of Strasbourg:  From strategy to experimenting One Health in practice

     

  • City of Munich:  Health guideline and the integration of the One Health approach

Sofia Aivalioti, Lead Expert, One Health 4 Cities

 

Adrian Cabrera Gonzalez, Vice-mayor councillor for sports and european projects, Municipality of Benissa

 

Françoise Schaetzel, Vice-president in charge of urban planning, quality of life and environmental health, Eurometropolis of Strasbourg

 

Dr. Susanne Herrmann, Deputy director of health department, City of Munich 

16:30 - 16:45Coffee Break 
16:45 - 17:45

High-Level Panel discussion : Scaling Up One Health in cities and the pivotal role of the European Union

 

  • Introduction by Serge Morand: The EU as a bridge between local urban realities and global challenges
  • Facilitation by Anne-Lise Chaber, Learning Specialist - One Health Flagship, WHO academy  

Serge Morand, Member of the One Health High Level Expert Panel, Researcher at the CNRS, Kasetsart University, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

 

Tilly Metz, Member of the European Parliament

 

Sirpa Pietikäinen, Member of the European Parliament

 

Roser Domenech-Amado, Director of One Health, DG SANTE, European Commission

 

Joanna Drake, Deputy Director General, DG Research & Innovation, European Commission

17:45-18:00

Closing Remarks

Sirpa Pietikäinen, Member of the European Parliament

 

Tilly Metz, Member of the European Parliament

18h-Cocktail