The Leibniz Lab "Pandemic Preparedness" at the Czech Parliament

On October 15, 2024, co-speaker of the Leibniz Lab Pandemic Preparedness, Dr. Michael Stolpe from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (ifw Kiel), presented the new initiative of the Leibniz Association and the concept Pandemic Preparedness: One Health, One Future at the Czech Parliament. This took place during a special science policy roundtable organized by the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESWI).

The roundtable was dedicated to current issues in health policy and vaccine acceptance in the Czech Republic. In addition to details about the new Leibniz Lab, the parliamentarians in Prague heard about the significant economic losses that respiratory infections and employee sick leaves have inflicted on the German economy since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. These losses amount to approximately one percent of the annual gross value added of the German economy – a significantly higher percentage than in an average year before the pandemic. The parliamentarians were also informed about the high returns to society generated by vaccine uptake, which rank among the highest public investments within and outside health policy.

ESWI is a pan-European network of virologists, immunologists, microbiologists, epidemiologists, mathematical modelers, and practitioners from pediatrics, geriatrics, and family medicine, aimed at reducing the burden of influenza and other acute respiratory viruses in Europe.

Dr. Michael Stolpe is a senior economist at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, in Germany, leading its project on the global health economy. Additionally, he is co-speaker and head of the research focus Pandemic Management in the newly established interdisciplinary Leibniz Lab Pandemic Preparedness, which consolidates the expertise of 41 Leibniz Institutes for evidence-based policy advice in preparation for and response to future pandemics. 

The coordination office of the think tank is based at the Leibniz Institute of Virology, with Prof. Dr. Gülsah Gabriel serving as the spokesperson.

For more information about the Leibniz Lab Pandemic Preparedness, visit:
https://www.leibniz-liv.de/institut/netzwerk/leibniz-lab-pandemic-preparedness