Lieven Annemans, the expert who sets his Celeval colleagues’ teeth on edge
"Lieven Annemans’ recent arrival in the Celeval (the evaluation unit tasked with advising the political authorities) is symbolic. The professor of health economics, who has been critical throughout the health crisis, is a sign of renewal in the management of the crisis, confirmed by the departure of virologists who advocated more stringent measures. But his interest, focused as much on the epidemiological situation as on the economic and social one, has nonetheless ruffled some members of the Celeval. Tensions have thus erupted in recent days within the advisory body itself."
"Mr Annemans indeed does not seem to mince his words and does not hesitate to make his opinion known, even if it means incurring the wrath of his colleagues. Little known in the south of the country, the ponytailed expert enjoys a certain fame in Flanders. Almost as present as Marc Van Ranst on television sets, the 56-year-old nevertheless holds views diametrically opposed to those of the thunderous KULeuven virologist, whom he regards rather critically. A fervent supporter of relaxing the health measures, he has been questioning certain rules in force since March, without, however, denying the need for the lockdown at the time."
"With some 300 international scientific publications and four books, Lieven Annemans is regarded as a specialist in the field of health economics. His hobbyhorse? The relationship between health, money and happiness. According to him, one does not go without the other. "The economy is health and health is the economy", the man nicknamed the "professor of happiness" often says. With more than twenty years of research to his credit, he has held a variety of posts along the way. In particular, he chaired the Flemish Health Council for eight years and worked in the office of the Minister of Social Affairs and Pensions."
"Winner of the Francqui Chair in 2013 and 2017, he now works at UGent and the VUB."
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