Presentation summary: Is health a key factor? Health as a precondition, consequence, and point of intervention towards well-being

Abstract

This presentation examines the role of human health in the context of polycrisis as a precondition, consequence, and strategic point of intervention. From a systems perspective, health is understood as an emergent outcome of interactions between individuals and their environment, shaping agency and adaptive capacity. Polycrisis affects health across multiple dimensions—physical-chemical, biological, economic, and social—while these effects interact and reinforce each other and are distributed unequally across populations. Deterioration of health is not only a consequence but also a driver of crises, generating economic, social, and environmental feedback loops. The presentation argues that polycrisis cannot be addressed through sectoral approaches alone: health and well-being can serve as a shared societal goal that integrates different domains. Community coalitions and intersectoral institutional arrangements provide a framework for joint problem identification, decision-making, and collective learning. Health thus becomes not only an outcome but a key leverage point in addressing polycrisis.