A “Research-to-Policy” event took place on 5 June 2024 at the University of Heidelberg and addressed the topic of microplastic pollution, climate change and antimicrobial resistance. This event, aimed at building a bridge between research and politics and dealing with the complex relationships between these factors and their impact on public health.
It was organised under the direction of Prof. Dr. Joacim Rocklöv and researchers from the Climate-Sensitive Infectious Diseases Lab (CSIDlab). The program included expert lectures and a panel discussion in which actors from non-governmental organizations as well as representatives from science and politics participated.
The “Research-to-Policy Dialogue on Plastic Pollution, Climate Change and Antimicrobial Resistance” was an event within the framework of the TULIP research project funded by the European Union, which is led by Prof. Rocklöv and Dr. Marina Treskova . The project focuses on plastic pollution and climate change as driving factors for the spread of antimicrobial resistance in the environment. Eleven partners worldwide are involved in the project, including the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in the Philippine Ministry of Health. There are also experts from universities and research institutions, non-university partners, small and medium-sized enterprises and non-governmental organizations.
Prof. Dr. Karin Schumacher, Vice Rector for Quality Development and Sustainability at Heidelberg University opened the event, followed by a video message from Prof. Dr. Philip J. Landrigan, Director of the Global Public Health Program and Global Pollution Observatory at Boston College (USA), and a keynote speech by Prof. Rocklöv on the content and goals of the TULIP project.
The expert lectures that followed provided an overview of the effects of plastic pollution, antimicrobial resistance and climate change on the health of people and ecosystems. They also addressed knowledge gaps that still need to be closed, and a panel discused solutions from politics and civil society that can help overcome this global challenge.
