Vector-Borne Diseases in the Iberian Peninsula: Forecasting the Risk of Leishmaniasis

man with a dog source: freepic

The vector-borne diseases have always been present in our life, but nowadays, due to recent climate changes and human-induced factors, they are playing a more important and damaging role for human health. The conditions mentioned before have favoured the expansion of the radius of action of mosquitoes and sandflies into new territories that were inaccessible before.

PFAS in Food

Reepresentation of Case Study 3 - PFAS in food

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic organic compounds with interesting chemical
properties. Among other uses, they are used in fire fighting foam for their thermal stability, in medical
and outdoor products for their lipophilic and hydrophobic properties (“lotus effect”), and in frying pans
for both these properties. These desirable properties come to a price: PFAS are very persistent and
therefore accumulate in the environment. And contrary to past belief that such inert substances cannot
be toxicologically relevant, health effects have been shown. There are restrictions on PFAS use, but they
are persistent and accumulate along the food chain.

Planetary Health Cluster meets in Brussels to strengthen collaboration and drive policy impact

Planetary Health Cluster meeting

On 3 June 2025, the Planetary Health Cluster participated in a high-level event organised by the European Climate-Health Cluster at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event brought together leading researchers and decision-makers to address one of the most pressing challenges of our time: the intersection of climate change and public health. The roundtable discussion, titled Protecting Health in a Changing Climate, highlighted growing scientific evidence on climate-related health risks and called for coordinated and integrated action across Europe.

PLANET4HEALTH Drives Key Discussions at EGU25

Milica Tosic (IMR) at EGU25

The PLANET4HEALTH team was a prominent contributor at the EGU General Assembly 2025, actively engaging in vital discussions on climatechange and health. This highly successful event welcomed 20,984 registered attendees, of which 18,646 made their way to Vienna from 120 countries and 2,338 joined online from 104 countries. With 18,934 presentations given in 1,102 sessions, and 56% of abstracts identified as contributions from Early Career Scientists (ECS), EGU25 provided a significant platform for our work.

PLANET4HEALTH in National Geographic Spain: A Deep Dive into Leishmaniasis Prevention

Carla Maia from UNL featured in the national geographic spain

The PLANET4HEALTH project recently received notable recognition: our work is featured in a compelling article by National Geographic Spain. Journalist Daniel Pellicer Roig, a biotechnologist specialising in biomedicine and rare diseases, penned this insightful piece, highlighting the critical issue of leishmaniasis prevention and how projects like PLANET4HEALTH, driven by experts including our partners Carla Maia from NOVA University Lisbon and Suzana Blesic from the Institute for Medical Research, are contributing to real-world solutions.

Consortium Meeting in Belgrade

P4H team at consortium meeting in Belgrade, 2025

The PLANET4HEALTH consortium gathered in Belgrade on March 10-11 for a long-awaited in-person meeting, held over a year after our initial kick-off meeting. The meeting was hosted by our partners from the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), who made sure we felt at home in Belgrade.