Bremen, like many cities where there are large differences in social living conditions, faces challenges in health care and health-promoting urban development.

Social inequalities may lead to offers of prevention and health care being perceived very differently by people. Large differences can be seen where living environments are concerned: for example, residential areas where predominantly affordable housing is located are more affected by traffic noise. During crises, such as the current pandemic, they are also affected by higher infection rates than other residential areas.

Research Cluster as Part of the New Integrated Health Campus Bremen

Under the title "Healthy City Bremen: Interprofessional, Digital, Sustainable" (“Gesunde Stadt Bremen: Interprofessionell, digital, nachhaltig”), the University of Bremen, together with the Bremen University of Applied Sciences and the APOLLON University of Health Care Management, is now launching a research cluster as part of the Integrated Health Campus Bremen. The Integrated Health Campus Bremen was initiated and is funded by the Senator for Science and Ports in cooperation with the Senator for Health, Women’s Affairs, and Consumer Protection as part of the coalition agreements and the Science Plan and focuses on networking in the science and health sectors.

The "Healthy City Bremen” research cluster is also funded by the Senator for Science and Ports. With regard to the University of Bremen, researchers from the high-profile area of health sciences, in particular from the Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP) and SOCIUM – Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy will be involved. Bremen City University of Applied Sciences will be represented by researchers from the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Faculty of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Institute for Energy, Recycling and Environmental Protection. The APOLLON University of Health Care Management will participate with two professors and the research cluster will run for four years.

Studies Investigate Possibilities for Equal Health Opportunities

In closely interlinked projects, interdisciplinary teams from the three participating universities are investigating how, for example, cooperation between different areas can be promoted at the administrative level through integrated small-scale monitoring, or how digital technologies can support participation and social integration of people with care needs locally. Other questions that will be addressed include: How can low-threshold access be realized in neighborhoods for the care of expectant mothers, the prevention of illness among the elderly, and health promotion with young people? And how can Bremen's health care system be made fit for future crises in the context of climate change and extreme events?  

"We want to contribute to sustainable, climate-friendly, and health-promoting urban development," says Professor Gabriele Bolte from the Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research at the University of Bremen. "That's why it's important to us that we gain our insights together with the administrations and stakeholders in the neighborhoods and make them available again," adds Professor Matthias Zündel from Bremen City University of Applied Sciences. This, he says, is ensured by the researchers' close collaboration with the agents in the field and by involving the people with whom and for whom health promotion and health care should be realized in the neighborhoods. "We need this close cooperation between social and health professionals on the ground, but also between the administrations in Bremen and Bremerhaven," emphasizes Professor Johanne Pundt of APOLLON University. Researchers from the three Bremen universities are networking together for the first time in this research cluster.

Further Information:

www.uni-bremen.de/en/

Inquiries are to be directed to the three research cluster spokespersons:

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Bolte
University of Bremen
Faculty of Human and Health Sciences
Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP)
Phone: +49 421 218-68820
Email: gabriele.bolteprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de

Prof. Dr. Matthias Zündel
Bremen City University of Applied Sciences
Faculty 03: Social Sciences
Phone: +49 421 5905-2192
Email: Matthias.Zuendelprotect me ?!hs-bremenprotect me ?!.de

Prof. Dr. Johanne Pundt
APOLLON University of Health Management
Phone: +49 421 378266-710
Email: johanne.pundtprotect me ?!apollon-hochschuleprotect me ?!.de