What if the best medicine wasn’t treating disease, but preventing it in the first place?
On 10th July 2026, Prof. Dr. Ina Danquah, Hertz-Chair for Innovation for Planetary Health and Director at Center for Development Research (ZEF) participated in a panel discussion on MS Wissenschaft, together with Prof. Andreas Schlitzer (Immunology) and Dr. Marius Bartmann (Ethics). They explored key opportunities and challenges in preventive medicine, while engaging with thought-provoking questions from the audience, including Rhodah Nekesa and Marian Abrafi Osei from ZEF’s Division “Nutrition and Planetary Health”.
The discussion highlighted that successful prevention is not only about knowing what works but a shared societal responsibility. It includes creating environments that enable healthy choices through supportive food systems, nutritious and sustainable diets, and informed public policies. Prof. Dr. Ina Danquah emphasized the importance of involving communities in co-designing preventive solutions that are practical, equitable and culturally relevant.
This event was organized in cooperation with the University of Bonn, represented by Collaborative Research Center 1454 “Metaflammation and Cellular Programming,” enaCom Transfer Center, and Transdisciplinary Research Area “Life and Health.”
Key takeaway: Preventive medicine, and nutrition and planetary health go hand in hand; preventing a disease begins with making and choosing healthy and sustainable solutions.