Tracking Disease, Protecting Health: The intelligence of wastewater

In this fourth pisode, we focus on an ‘unsung hero’ – wastewater surveillance. What we flush away can tell us so much about our health and what may be circulating in our communities. From pollutants and contaminants to pathogens and viruses: scientists can provide early warning signals to governments, enabling them to anticipate and respond to potential infectious disease outbreaks. Veronik Hutse, Virologist/Epidemiologist from Belgium’s public health institute Sciensano, and Kate Medlicott, Sanitation and Wastewater Technical Lead at WHO, share their expertise.

The Misinformation epidemic

In this third episode, anthropologist and author, Heidi Larson, talks about how the rise and spread of misinformation and disinformation impact on acceptance of vaccines and other medical countermeasures, particularly in the context of outbreaks. Why and how does false or misleading information get inadvertently or maliciously spread? What kinds of approaches can we take to combat this societal phenomenon? And what advice does she have for the EU to tackle mis- and disinformation in its overall preparedness for future health crises?

Winning the Battle Against Mosquitoes

In this second episode, Professor of Disease Ecology, Henrik Salje of Cambridge University's Department of Genetics, shares important insights into vector-borne infectious diseases spread by mosquitoes, ticks and other insects. No longer confined to tropical climates, he shares with us the reasons for their increasing emergence and spread in Europe. How can we prepare as a society? What can we do as individual citizens? And, importantly, what work is the EU and its member states already undertaking in the areas of prevention, surveillance and treatment.

A Conversation with Commissioner Hadja Lahbib

In the first episode Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, reflects on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses how preparedness must take into account equality and the needs of vulnerable groups. Drawing on her dual responsibilities for promoting inclusion and strengthening Europe’s preparedness and response frameworks, the conversation highlights why inclusive approaches are essential to effective health emergency preparedness and how they help ensure that no one is left behind when crises strike.