"Nobody likes Mosquitoes!"

After years of making films about global health and mosquito borne diseases, I was pleased to be invited to moderate an important event at the European Parliament to address climate change related disease outbreaks in Europe.

Most of my documentaries on mosquito borne diseases have been filmed in the developing world so the fact that we met in the European Parliament to discuss the growing threat in Europe was significant and concerning.

MEP Andras Kulja MD convened institutions, scientists, NGOs, and industry leaders for a policy dialogue on the EU’s role in tackling climate-driven disease outbreaks.  

He said: “Climate change is not just an environmental issue — it’s a growing public health concern, accelerating the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya across Europe.”

Marianne Comparet’s suggestion to unite stakeholders against a deadly enemy – the mosquito - could be an effective way forward to frame the narrative and get the public engaged as well.

Here's what we know:  

🔹 Europe’s ageing population — nearly one-third of citizens will be over 65 — faces increased vulnerability due to underlying health conditions.

 🔹 Prevention is more effective than crisis management. Vaccines are our strongest tool, but public trust and targeted communication are essential.

 🔹 A harmonised European framework is key for surveillance and resilience, alongside investment in diagnostics, vaccine R&D, and contingency stocks. 

🔹 Cross-border coordination and a whole-of-society, whole-of-government, approach to preparedness are critical. Europe must learn from longstanding global experiences.

The event marked the launch a new policy paper  co-authored by Valneva and Takeda, with support from Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW) and the International Society For Neglected Tropical Diseases (ISNTD), offering actionable recommendations to strengthen EU preparedness. https://lnkd.in/eD-YbsDP