{"id":643062,"date":"2026-05-01T16:20:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T16:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/643062\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T16:20:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T16:20:12","slug":"global-experts-call-for-paradigm-shift-in-medicine-health-and-education-to-save-lives-and-fight-escalating-health-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/643062\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Experts call for Paradigm Shift in Medicine, Health and Education to Save Lives and Fight Escalating Health Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"


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INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA, May 1, 2026 – (ACN Newswire) –\u00a0A global consortium of 64 experts (72 entities, 5 continents) unveiled\u00a0two coordinated\u00a0consensus<\/a>\u00a0plus\u00a0policy brief<\/a>\u00a0reports, outlining a science\u2011driven roadmap to confront escalating health crises and to tackle the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs-including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, etc.:\u00a075% of global deaths; 82% in low-\/middle income countries<\/a>;\u00a090% of all death in European region<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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The centerpiece is\u00a0HEAL-Healthy Eating & Active Living, ideally whole\u2011food plant\u2011predominant\/vegetarian-vegan diets & daily exercise outdoors\/active mobility-as the minimum, first\u2011line standard in health and care. The authors urge immediate action on Prevention-over-Treatment and reforming education and human\u2011relevant science (drug failure rate from animal studies is 90-95%, and as high as 99.6% for Alzheimer disease<\/a>), with a rapid shift from disease\u2011centered reaction to person\u2011centered, lifestyle\u2011first cure and care.<\/p>\n

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Figure 1. HEAL means choosing a whole-food, plant-predominant (ideally vegan) diets coupled with daily exercise outdoors\/in nature to kick-start better health. Credit: iStock\/LightFieldStudios.<\/p>\n

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“Sustainable health is for free but cannot be downloaded or prescribed-it must be lived daily and earned across lifetime through informed lifestyle choices, with HEAL as starting point. As childhood-entrenched health literacy lasts a lifetime; embedding HEAL from primary to tertiary education is the policy priority of our generation.” -Lead author\u00a0Katharina Wirnitzer<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0PHT<\/a>,\u00a0University of Innsbruck<\/a>\u00a0&\u00a0CCCTIM<\/a><\/p>\n

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Figure 2. Katharina Wirnitzer\/Keynote on Vegan Diet in Sports. Credit: \u00a9Katharina Wirnitzer.<\/p>\n

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Why change is imperative<\/p>\n


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\nThe paradox:\u00a0Despite rising health spending and scientific advances, public health gains lag while ever-growing NCDs. The expert panel offers\u00a0101 consensus statements<\/a>\u00a0and a\u00a010\u2011step policy roadmap<\/a>\u00a0to act across the lifespan-from individual behavior to population\u2011level change.
\nWhy HEAL, and why now:\u00a0HEAL combines Healthy Eating (whole\u2011food, plant\u2011predominant; preferably vegetarian\/vegan) with Active Living (regular, ideally daily, including outdoor activity and active mobility). Evidence shows synergistic benefits beyond either alone, reducing reliance on drugs and surgery while improving resilience and sustainability of health systems.
\nPrevention-First (3:1):\u00a0The reports recommend prioritizing prevention, health maintenance, and health promotion over treatment by 3:1 (Figure 3), making healthy choices the easy, first\u2011line intervention and reserving medicalized treatment for specific indications.
\nEducation and workforce:\u00a0Embed HEAL from primary through tertiary education and continuously upskill healthcare and education professionals to deliver evidence\u2011based lifestyle counseling, routine assessment, and monitoring. Improve meal standards and support active mobility in schools and public spaces.
\nHuman\u2011relevant science:\u00a0Accelerate the transition to non\u2011animal, human\u2011relevant methods for basic and preclinical research and for efficacy, safety and toxicity testing through funding priorities, validation, and regulatory adoption.
\nPolicy roadmap:\u00a0Apply\u00a0Health in All Policies (HiAP)<\/a>\u00a0to link individual choices with systemic supports (Figure 4); invest in supportive defaults (healthy public catering, active transport, public\u2011space design, community HEAL programs); embed HEAL in curricula; and track outcomes with robust evaluation to scale what works.
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“Every dollar\/euro invested in evidence-based prevention saves multiples in treatment. HEAL is the smartest first investment a health system can make.”\u00a0-Bernd Haditsch |\u00a0\u00d6GK – Austrian Health Insurance Fund<\/a>,\u00a0Prevention Unit<\/a><\/p>\n

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“Obesity is a disease with powerful drivers. HEAL gives every patient a proven, first-line foundation to reclaim their health.”\u00a0–Fatima Cody Stanford | Harvard Medical School & MGH<\/a><\/p>\n

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“A doctor who cannot counsel patients on the Power of Lifestyle, especially on food and movement,\u00a0is only half-equipped. Lifestyle education in medical school is the missing foundation of modern medicine. Helping our patients to eat a more plant-strong diet is the most powerful healing medicine we can prescribe.” –Michael Klaper | Moving Medicine Forward<\/a><\/p>\n

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“Plant-forward diets provide a powerful opportunity to concurrently improve health and wellbeing for people, farmed animals and the environment.”\u00a0–Andrew Knight | Griffith University<\/a><\/p>\n

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Figure 3.\u00a0Four areas-of-action, balanced 3:1, to achieve lifelong health<\/a>. Credit: \u00a9Katharina Wirnitzer.<\/p>\n

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“Given its cost-effectiveness, Traditional, Integrative, and Complementary Medicine will be the evidence-based mainstream of tomorrow’s global healthcare.” –Tom\u00e1\u0161 Pfeiffer<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0ITCIM<\/a>\u00a0&\u00a0SANATOR<\/a><\/p>\n

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“Treatment alone will not sustain health systems. HEAL connects prevention, lifestyle medicine and integrative care to advance salutogenesis on a planetary scale. We must invest far more in creating health.” -Georg Seifert |\u00a0WHO CC<\/a>\u00a0&\u00a0CCCTIM, Charit\u00e9 Universit\u00e4ts mediz in Berlin<\/a><\/p>\n

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“The science clearly shows that, when it comes to human health, animal protection is a win-win. Given human health’s complexity, and since animal testing virtually fails to cure human diseases, human-relevant methods already outperform animal experimentation and must therefore be implemented with priority in science, with funds going to human-focused research. Citizens in the EU and US have spoken clearly in favor of this transition. HEAL can prevent many diseases, avoiding the need for animal studies altogether.” -Merel Ritskes-Hoitinga | Universities Aarhus &\u00a0Utrecht<\/a>;\u00a0Doris Wilflingseder | Vetmed Uni Vienna<\/a>, Aysha Akhtar |\u00a0Center for Contemporary Sciences<\/a>, Corina Gericke & Gaby Neumann |\u00a0Doctors Against Animal Experiments<\/a><\/p>\n

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Figure 4.\u00a0Systemic application of HEAL to reach target groups and improve personal and public health across micro (individuals\/families), meso (communities), and macro (state\/government\/federal policy) levels, ensuring optimal vertical and horizontal permeability and integration<\/a>. Credit: \u00a9Katharina Wirnitzer.<\/p>\n

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Key Actions at a Glance.<\/p>\n


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\nMake HEAL the universal starting point and minimum, first\u2011line prevention standard.
\nImplement lifestyle\u2011first counseling before routine prescriptions.
\nPrioritize Prevention-over-Treatment with an 3:1 balance.
\nMandate lifestyle education in schools; embed HEAL across tertiary programs.
\nContinuously upskill professionals for evidence\u2011based lifestyle counseling and monitoring.
\nAccelerate adoption of human\u2011relevant methods to end animal experiments in research, education and regulatory testing.
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Figure 5. The Power of Lifestyle: Start with the dual HEAL approach across\u00a06 interconnected areas<\/a>\u00a0to improve health and well-being. Credit: \u00a9ACLM<\/a>. Graphic modification: \u00a9Katharina Wirnitzer (permission: 24.11.2021).<\/p>\n

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Contact for further information:
Katharina C. Wirnitzer – Professor for Sports Public Health with a special focus on Child Public Health
Email: katharina@wirnitzer.at<\/a>
Cell: +43 (650) 5901794
University College of Teacher Education Tyrol (PHT), Innsbruck, Austria<\/p>\n

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SOURCE:\u00a0Institut f\u00fcr Sekundarp\u00e4dagogik<\/p>\n

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Related Documents:
global-pr-engmedia-prfinal28april2026<\/a>
global-pr-engmedia-prfinal28april2026<\/a><\/p>\n


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\nTopic:\u00a0Press release summary
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Source: Institut fur Sekundarpadagogik<\/a>

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\nSectors:\u00a0Healthcare & Pharm<\/a>
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https:\/\/www.acnnewswire.com<\/a>
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From the Asia Corporate News Network
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Copyright \u00a9 2026 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Asia Corporate News Network.<\/p>\n


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