The first day of activities led by SSPH+ as partners of the Swiss Pavilion during the Health and Wellness Week at the Expo 2020 in Dubai was an immersive experience. SSPH+ put one of the core topics of the Expo into the center of attention: the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDG). The afternoon started with Professor Dr. Frank Ruhli, Dean of the Medicine Faculty at the University of Zürich. He elaborated on evolutionary perspectives and approaches to achieving the SDG by reflecting on human behavioral barriers and the required evolutionary considerations for that purpose, like the importance of public interventions offering individual incentives and the need for clear communication based on facts. See Prof. Rühlis talk featured on twitter here.

Then, Dr. Patricia Chocano-Bedoya, head of the "Ageing" Research Unit at the Berner Institut für Hausarztmedizin (BIHAM) at the University of Bern, explained the need to change our current Western dietary patterns toward a healthier and more sustainable one like the planetary health diet. This would help to accomplish the SDG number two related to achieving food security and sustainable agriculture
and number four seeking to ensure healthy lifestyles at all ages. See Dr. Chocano- Bedoyas talk featured on twitter here.

After a brief break for the audience and the onsite speakers to have some healthy snacks and beverages at the rooftop of the Swiss Pavillion, Dr. Florian Liberatore, from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) School of Management and Law, spoke about innovative strategies to tackle the shortage of professional health workers in Switzerland. His intervention was directly related to the ninth SDG– building resilient infrastructures, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation. See Dr. Liberatore's contributions to the SSPH+ program shared on LinkedIn here.

Finally, Professor Dr. Claudio Valsangiacomo, from the Centre for Development and Cooperation at the University of Applied Sciences and
Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), centered his attention on the two billion human beings who do not have access to safe water and its dire consequences including the impact for women and children. Professor Valsangiacomo also described how developed countries could contribute to taking care of such a precious resource.
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