Welcome to the 19th Key symposium 2025

19-21 May
Stockholm Sweden

“Planetary Health – connect the dots. What saves the planet saves our health”

As you are aware, our planet is facing unprecedented environmental challenges, ranging from climate change and biodiversity loss to pollution and habitat destruction. These challenges not only threaten the stability of ecosystems but also have profound implications for human health and well-being. The debate about climate change is over. The science is broadly accepted. Now the question is, what do we do about it. Throughout the meeting, lectures from international key opinion leaders will be presented. Up to 100 discussants in different scientific disciplines, opinion leaders and leading scientific journalists will also be invited to the meeting. The program is designed to foster long-term connections and collaboration after the meeting, with the goal of developing actionable strategies for a healthier and more sustainable future for people and the planet.

Perhaps you are familiar with the Indian folk tale about the six blind men describing an elephant. It highlights the limitations of relying solely on one perspective or discipline to understand a multifaceted issue. By leveraging the teachings of this story as a conceptual framework, multi-disciplinary scientific meetings can promote a deeper understanding of complex issues, foster collaboration across disciplines, and catalyze innovative solutions to real-world challenges. In this symposium, we will try to see the “whole elephant” by including multiple disciplines in the discussions.

Planetary health is the science of interconnectedness – we need to connect the dots. Interconnectedness is also the key to success in medicine. During this meeting we will consider the “butterfly effect”. Originating from chaos theory, this principle suggests that small changes in initial conditions can lead to vastly different outcomes over time. Moreover, the butterfly effect encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and systems thinking. Just as a butterfly’s flight has the potential to influence weather patterns across continents, research findings in one discipline can have far-reaching implications for others. By integrating perspectives from diverse fields, researchers may uncover unexpected connections and gain deeper insights into complex phenomena. By acknowledging the interconnected nature of biological systems and environmental factors, we pave the way for innovative approaches to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases. It is in the friction between different disciplines that you have the greatest opportunity to make great discoveries.

Welcome to Stockholm!

Yours Sincerely,