1 / 2022 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS 7
“ Children ’ s rights are an important issue ”
Leopoldina member Jutta Gärtner on her work for the German National Academy of Sciences
Paediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist Jutta Gärtner ML was elected to the Presidium of the Leopoldina in September 2021 . Since November , she has also been Chair of the Leopoldina Human Rights Committee , which focuses on the promotion of human rights and ethics in the sciences . In this interview , she talks about the wide range of activities she is involved in within the Academy .
Ms Gärtner , since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic , the Leopoldina has issued ten ad hoc statements and various other publications on the topic . Despite holding a challenging , time-consuming position as a director at a university medical centre , you have actively contributed to these publications . What was your motivation behind this ? Jutta Gärtner : Like many others , I was motivated by the opportunity to speak out during such unprecedented circumstances both on a personal level and on behalf of the Leopoldina . For example , in late November when we no longer wanted to stand by and watch the number of COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket . Our multidisciplinary group of clinicians , basic researchers , ethicists and legal scholars therefore called for more effective social distancing measures and sparked a debate on a “ vaccine mandate ”. If we don ’ t speak out , who would ?
The ad hoc statement on the COVID-19 pandemic published in June 2021 focuses on children and adolescents . What was most important to you when preparing this statement ? Gärtner : We wanted to spell out the importance of not neglecting children and adolescents during the pandemic . In spring 2020 , the decision to close schools was taken quite suddenly . At the start of the pandemic , little attention was paid to the burden this placed on children themselves as well as on parents and
Jutta Gärtner ML
Director of the Centre for Paediatric
and Adolescent Medicine at the University Medical Center Göttingen . The specialist in neuropaediatrics conducts research on neurometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases as well as multiple sclerosis in children and adolescents . Jutta Gärtner has been a member of the Leopoldina since 2014 and a Presidium Member since September 2021 . In November 2021 , she became the Chair of the Leopoldina Human Rights Committee ( HRC ), which supports scientists all over the world whose work has made them subject to repression .
Image : Markus Scholz | Leopoldina
families as a whole . This has changed , and numerous other statements have been published by various groups , including teachers ’ associations and medical organisations . During lockdown , we noticed that far fewer children were hospitalized with infectious diseases compared with the previous year , but that the wards were still packed full with children suffering from conditions like headaches , abdominal pain and eating disorders . The rise in these kinds of illnesses was too sharp to be ignored .
Of all the topics concerning children covered by the statements published du- ring the course of the COVID-19 pandemic , which are most close to your heart ? Gärtner : The importance of a healthy upbringing should be at the forefront of our minds at all times and not just during the COVID-19 pandemic . Children and adolescents go through certain developmental stages at a specific age , which means they cannot simply catch up later . Once we are in calmer waters again , we need to examine the issue of children ’ s rights in more detail .
You recently became the Chair of the Leopoldina Human Rights Committee . What are the most burning issues here ? Gärtner : On this committee , we support scientists from around the world who are subject to repression because of their research . I want us to pay even greater attention to the situation of colleagues in Europe , as I believe that there is a particular need for significant action in some Eastern European countries .
As the German National Academy of Sciences , the Leopoldina offers independent science-based policy advice . In all honesty , are there times when you would like an expertocracy , in which scientists can put their fact-based recommendations into practice promptly and comprehensively ? Gärtner : No . In order to make progress and share their views unimpeded , scientists need to remain independent from political constraints and be part of an international network . This is why I am strictly against mixing these two areas of responsibility .
■ THE INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY ADELHEID MÜLLER-LISSNER
Jutta Gärtner Presidium Human Rights Committee