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One Health in Urban Settings

Cities concentrate the interactions between human, animal and environmental health, and are powerful levers for systemic change. This track brings together the Hub's work on implementing One Health in urban settings: the session organized with CPMA and WFPHA at the World Congress on Public Health, and the three doctoral scholarships opened on this theme.

Cape Town session · 6 September 2026Three doctoral scholarshipsCPMA · WFPHA · UM6SS

Organized session · CPMA × WFPHA

Strengthening One Health Governance for Pandemic Preparedness in a Changing Climate

Sunday 6 September 2026 · 9:00 – 10:00Roof Terrace Room (Breakout Room 3), Cape Town International Convention Centre

Held during the 18th World Congress on Public Health

Preliminary programme

  1. 9:00 – 9:05

    Opening Remarks

    Chair : Feng Yang (CPMA)

    • Raman Bedi (WFPHA)
    • Bin Li (CPMA)
  2. 9:05 – 9:15

    Impact evaluation of climate change on health through One Health lens

    • Tiantian Li (China CDC)
  3. 9:15 – 9:25

    Feasibility of Translating the Global One Health Index into a One Health City Evaluation Index System

    • Xiaonong Zhou (China CDC)
  4. 9:25 – 9:35

    Case Studies of One Health Implementation in Urban Settings

    • Issam Bennis (WFPHA, One Health Working Group)
  5. 9:35 – 10:00

    Panel Discussion

    • All participants

Academic exchange · Chair: Xiaonong Zhou (China CDC)

Presentations will be published after the session.

One Health implementation in Urban Settings

Threedoctoral scholarships

Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences is opening three doctoral topics hosted by the Public Health and Health Management Laboratory, in partnership with the World Federation of Public Health Associations.

Supervisor · Issam BennisCo-supervisor · Professor Raman Bedi (WFPHA)Public Health and Health Management LaboratoryWFPHA funding for international travel
27SPMS01

One Health, Unequal Burdens: Social Responsibility and Health Equity at the AI-Assisted Human–Animal–Environment Interface

Drawing on mixed methods, the student will map the differential exposures facing marginalised communities (including smallholder farmers, urban informal settlers, and indigenous peoples), critically examine whether mainstream One Health governance frameworks adequately centre social justice, and develop evidence-based recommendations for embedding health equity and social accountability into One Health policy and practice at national and global levels.

Keywords

Health EquityAI-Assisted InterfaceSocial Responsibility

Candidate profile

Master 2 in data science, One Health or artificial intelligence, specialising in public health, community health, veterinary sciences or environmental sciences, with a strong quantitative or computational component.

27SPMS02

Smart Cities, Healthier Ecosystems: Sovereign AI-Driven Decision Support Tools to Accelerate One Health Urban Transformation

Cities are both epicentres of human–animal–environment interaction and powerful levers for systemic change yet municipal authorities rarely have the analytical tools to simultaneously identify high-impact One Health interventions across health, environmental, and biodiversity data. The student will design, develop, and field-test AI-powered decision-support platforms that integrate multi-sectoral urban datasets (public health surveillance, green space mapping, air and water quality monitoring, animal population data) to generate actionable One Health city scorecards and investment priorities. The work will be co-produced with city partners and validated across two contrasting urban settings.

Keywords

Smart CitiesSovereign AIUrban Transformation

Candidate profile

Master 2 in data science, One Health or artificial intelligence, with experience handling heterogeneous data: health data, environmental data, urban IoT sensors.

27SPMS03

Acting on Social Responsibility: Mobilizing AI-Supported Civil Society as a Driving Force for Transforming the Local One Health Agenda

One Health is often framed as a scientific or governmental endeavour, yet sustainable change at the community level depends on the active participation of civil society faith communities, grassroots health advocates, NGOs, youth networks, and neighbourhood organisations. This studentship will examine the conditions under which civil society actors become effective champions of the One Health agenda in local settings. Through comparative case studies, the student will identify enablers and barriers to civic engagement, test community mobilisation frameworks adapted from social movement theory, and co-develop a replicable toolkit for institutions and local authorities seeking to embed civil society as a structural partner rather than a peripheral beneficiary in One Health governance.

Keywords

Civil Society MobilizationLocal One HealthSocial Transformation

Candidate profile

Master 2 in political science, sociology or cognitive science, focused on civic engagement and public policy, comfortable handling heterogeneous data.

How to apply

  1. 1Open the UM6SS doctoral programme application portal.
  2. 2Under “Advanced search”, enter Bennis in the Supervisor field to list the three topics.
  3. 3Select your topic, then complete the required information and documents: personal and academic details, grade averages, diplomas and transcripts.
Go to the application portalFor any question :cedoc.application@um6ss.ma

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