When Dr. Michael Stolpe, co-speaker of our Lab, presented the Leibniz Association initiative to the Czech Parliament in October 2024, the response was highly positive — underscoring the broader European relevance of our lab’s work.
A special session in Prague focused on current health policy issues and vaccine acceptance in the Czech Republic. Alongside insights into the new Leibniz Lab, members of parliament were presented with data on the major economic impact of respiratory illnesses and work absences in Germany since the COVID-19 pandemic began. These losses account for nearly one percent of Germany’s annual economic output — much higher than in pre-pandemic years. The session also highlighted how effective vaccination campaigns deliver some of the highest returns on public investment, not only in health but across all sectors of society.
© ESWI
ESWI is a European network of scientists and healthcare professionals—including virologists, immunologists, epidemiologists, and clinicians—working to reduce the impact of influenza and other acute respiratory diseases across Europe.
Dr. Michael Stolpe, head of the Global Health Economics group at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, also co-leads the new interdisciplinary Leibniz Lab “Pandemic Preparedness.” This initiative unites experts from 41 Leibniz institutes to provide evidence-based policy advice for managing future pandemics.
Learn more about the Leibniz Lab “Pandemic Preparedness” here:
https://leibniz-lab-pandemic-preparedness.de/en/institutes
