From 29 September to 2 October 2025, the Women for One Health (WfOH) Secretariat participated in the European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health (ECTMIH) in Hamburg and hosted a panel on 2 October in Track 4: One Health – Approaches and Solutions.
The ECTMIH is one of Europe’s leading global health conferences, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to address pressing issues in global health, tropical medicine, and international health equity 🌍. This year’s congress focused on fostering collaboration across sectors and disciplines to tackle emerging challenges such as climate change, infectious and non-communicable diseases, and global health security, all through an integrated and equitable approach.
ECTMIH 2025 featured seven thematic tracks and several cross-cutting themes:
Tracks:
1️⃣ Interfaces: Immunology and Interaction
2️⃣ Emerging Infections: Pandemics and Control
3️⃣ Tropical Medicine: Diseases and Care
4️⃣ One Health: Approaches and Solutions
5️⃣ International Health: Travel and Migration
6️⃣ Vulnerable Populations: Poverty and Neglect
7️⃣ Non-Communicable Diseases: Challenges and Society
Cross-Cutting Themes:
🌿 Climate and Environmental Changes
⚖️ Equality and Equity
🧠 Behavioural Research and Implementation
💻 Digital Innovations
The session, titled “Women for One Health: Empowering Women in One Health – Overcoming Barriers, Shaping Solutions”, focused on cross-cutting themes of equality and equity ⚖️. The 90-minute panel began with introductions by Prof. Andrea Winkler, who presented One Health and the Lancet One Health Commission (LOHC) 🌱, and Dr. Lilian Waiboci, who introduced WfOH and the first speakers. This was followed by presentations from Dr. Heidi Auerswald, Dr. Phaedra Henley, Dr. Anselme Shyaka, and Hellen Kariuki, highlighting women’s contributions to One Health.
The moderated discussion explored several key areas, including:
- Evidence 📊 still needed to demonstrate women’s impact
- Metrics 📏 to track inclusion and measure contributions
- Advocacy 📣 to promote gender equity and support underserved populations
- Translation to Policy 🏛️ to ensure meaningful inclusion and actionable outcomes
The session concluded with an interactive Q&A with the audience and a wrap-up summarizing key takeaways and actionable points ✅.
The panel underscored the importance of empowering women in One Health 👩⚕️🌿, sharing strategies to overcome barriers, measure impact, and translate contributions into policy and practice, highlighting the critical role of women in advancing global health and sustainability.
We would like to thank everyone who attended the panel and the members we had the pleasure of meeting during the conference; your engagement and insights made the session truly inspiring! 🙏
WfOH continues to advocate for stronger gender equity within the global One Health community and encourages partners and institutions to integrate inclusive approaches into research, policy, and practice. The broader message of ECTMIH 2025, fostering collaboration for a fairer, healthier world, remains a shared commitment that WfOH proudly supports.
