Panel at AmeriGEO Week 2025 highlights the potential of Earth sciences to strengthen partnerships in One Health

As part of AmeriGEO Week 2025, the panel discussion “Promoting Earth Science Applications to Strengthen Collaborations in One Health” will take place on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, from 10:00 to 12:00, in a hybrid format with English-Spanish interpretation. The session will bring together health, environment, and climate change specialists to explore how Earth observations can support public health surveillance and foster sustainable partnerships under the One Health approach.

As health systems face challenges such as air pollution, extreme heat, and infectious disease outbreaks, the integration of satellite, terrestrial, and epidemiological surveillance data is emerging as a key tool for quantifying risks, improving preparedness, and guiding decision-making.

With the support of the GEO Health Community of Practice, the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, the panel will address regional priorities in environmental health, promote data interoperability, and present examples of successful multidisciplinary collaborations in the Americas.

Panelists include:

  • Diego Moreno Heredia, Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia
  • Mayra Vargas, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia
  • Rodrigo González Florian, District Secretariat of Environment of Bogotá, Colombia
  • Hugo Mantilla Meluk, University of Quindío, Colombia
  • Gina Polo Infante, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia

Discussions will focus on how Earth science applications can be integrated into health policies and actions, the challenges to their implementation, and opportunities to expand professional networks in environmental sciences.

The session is expected to generate a shared understanding of priorities and needs in the region, identify opportunities for collaboration, and promote participation in GEO Health and IAI activities to strengthen capacities in the area of environmental health.

See the concept note here

Live broadcast in Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvY7g3_YDTk

Live broadcast in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXT1rcWUCzY