idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
04/14/2026 - 04/14/2026 | Berlin
The relationship between climate change and human health has become an urgent issue worldwide, especially in elevated areas. In an era of escalating environmental disruption, rising temperatures, and frequent climate disasters, communities around the globe are facing new and intensified health challenges. From heat-related illnesses and respiratory diseases to malnutrition and mental stress, climate change is increasingly affecting both physical and mental well-being, exacerbating existing health inequalities and placing vulnerable populations at greater risk.
Between the years 2010 and 2020, the World Health Organization reported a steady increase in climate-related health impacts, estimating that over 250,000 additional deaths per year will occur between 2030 and 2050 due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress alone. Air pollution, extreme weather events, and disrupted food systems are already straining health infrastructures and challenging public health systems worldwide. In light of this, local and international communities continue to call for coordinated action to mitigate and adapt to these growing threats.
During the Akkon Aspekte Abend “Can you feel the heat?”, we aim to explore the intertwined relationship between a changing climate and global health with the partial focus on mountainous regions. Our international and interdisciplinary panel, featuring researchers, public health experts, and students from Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas, will discuss crucial topics such as urban heat, air quality, infectious disease spread, climate anxiety, and health equity. Only through global cooperation, sustainable policy, and community-based resilience can we confront this defining public health challenge of our time and promote a healthier, more sustainable future for all.
The evening will bring together international experts from academia and practice. Together, they will discuss current developments, regional characteristics—especially in mountainous regions—and approaches to sustainable and equitable healthcare in the context of climate change.
Program:
5:30 pm Welcome by Prof. Dr. Andreas M. Bock
President Akkon University of Applied Sciences
Presentations
Facilitator: Prof. Dr. med. Dr. PH Timo Ulrichs
Vice President Akkon University of Applied Sciences,
Director Institute for Research in International Assistance (IRIA) and
Head of Study Program International Emergency and Disaster Relief
State Secretary Tina Rudolph
Thuringian Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Labour and Family (Germany):
Global Health & Climate Change:
Germany's Strategy for a Healthy Future
Dr. Stefan Schneiderbauer, Davide Cotti
Global Mountain Safeguard Research (GLOMOS) at Eurac Research (Bolzano, Italy):
Warming mountains: climate and weather implications for the well-being of mountain populations
Prof. Hassan O. Kaya, Dr. Mayashree Chinsamy
African Institute in Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIIKS), University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (online):
Traditional Leadership and Digital Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in Maloti Drakensberg Climate Resilience
Philipp Endler, Stefan Mönnich, Gaby Feldmann
Institute for Research in International Assistance (IRIA)/Akkon University, (Berlin/Germany)
Mitigation and Legislation: an international view at how governments prepare to fight and mitigate the outcomes of climate change
Dr. Christian Lueme, Stellenbosch University (South-Africa) (online):
Association between ambient apparent temperature and hospital admission for respiratory disease in Cape Town, South Africa
Silvia Zanetti (Akkon University/IRIA, Berlin/Germany), Manizha Khakimova (TU Braunschweig/Germany), Nana Katchiuri & Mariam Kevkhishvili (Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy, Georgia):
Public Awareness and Health Risk Perception of Air Pollution in Tbilisi:
An Exploratory Study (Engagement Global ASA Program 2025)
7:15 pm Discussion & Wrap up
7:30 pm Reception and Get-together
Kindly supported by Federal Ministry of Health
Organization/Registration:
Prof. Dr. med. Dr. PH Timo Ulrichs & Gaby Feldmann
Akkon University with its Institute for Research in International Assistance (IRIA)
Colditzstr. 34-36, 12099 Berlin, Germany
events@iria.akkon-hochschule.de
+49 30 8092332-0, + 49 178 2176889
Information on participating / attending:
The event will be held in a hybrid format, allowing for both in-person participation in Berlin and online attendance.
Please register at: events@iria.akkon-hochschule.de
Date:
04/14/2026 17:30 - 04/14/2026 20:00
Event venue:
Akkon Hochschule für Humanwissenschaften
Colditzstraße 34–36, 12099 Berlin
Seminarraum 07, 2. Etage
Berlin
Berlin
Germany
Target group:
Journalists, Scientists and scholars
Email address:
Relevance:
international
Subject areas:
Environment / ecology, Medicine, Nutrition / healthcare / nursing, Oceanology / climate
Types of events:
Conference / symposium / (annual) conference
Entry:
03/27/2026
Sender/author:
Nadine Huntemann
Department:
Referat für Kommunikation und Marketing
Event is free:
yes
Language of the text:
German
URL of this event: http://idw-online.de/en/event81276
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