Session 4: Research Preparedness for Health Emergencies – What Should NPHIs do now to be Prepared to Rapidly Generate Knowledge when the Next Emergency Occurs?
On April 18, 2024, IANPHI held a session of its Europe Regional Network meeting on “Research Preparedness for Health Emergencies – What should NPHIs do now to be prepared to rapidly generate knowledge when the next emergency occurs?”.
Under the moderation of Dr. Tyra Grove Krause, Executive Vice-President and Head of the Division of Epidemiological Infectious Disease Preparedness of the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) in Denmark, this session covered various aspects of research competence and workforce development in public health, with a focus on integrating research into pandemic preparedness strategies. Key themes included the importance of establishing national frameworks for core competencies, enhancing coordination and collaboration among public health institutions, and prioritizing research to inform evidence-based decision-making during health emergencies. Overall, the presentations highlighted the critical role of research competence and collaboration in strengthening public health systems and preparedness efforts.
The session featured presentations from 5 speakers followed by a discussion to share experiences and insights on research preparedness. The speakers included Dr. Bjørn G. Iversen, Senior Medical Officer at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), Dr. Jean-Claude Desenclos, Scientific Advisor at Santé publique France (SpF) and Senior Executive Board Advisor for IANPHI, Dr. George Leahy, Deputy Director Europe, and Dr. Carolina Arevalo, Deputy Director of Research, Evidence and Knowledge, both from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). At the end of the session, a discussion on HOW to include an intervention on research competence in the workforce strategy was moderated by Ms. Elene Godziashvili, Head of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Division at the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia.
How the EU is Building Research Preparedness to be Better Prepared for the Next Pandemic
By Dr. Bjørn G. Iversen, Senior Medical Officer, Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), Norway
Dr. Bjørn G. Iversen provided an overview of the European Union (EU)'s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the area of pandemic research, focusing on key learnings, initiatives, and challenges. He highlighted the lack of research preparedness, coordination, and awareness within the EU's research response framework and discussed some initiatives such as the BE READY and the CoMeCt projects, and the proposed EU Pandemic Preparedness Partnership that aims to enhance research, coordination, and response capacity. Dr. Iversen detailed the role of different EU entities in this topic emphasizing the need for improved coordination, especially in clinical research and trial networks, and for collaboration among EU countries. He concluded his presentation by encouraging involvement in these initiatives, particularly for National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs), to ensure comprehensive pandemic preparedness strategies.
How the UK was Prepared to Conduct Real-Time Research during the Pandemic
By Dr. George Leahy, Deputy Director Europe, & Dr. Carolina Arevalo, Deputy Director of Research, Evidence and Knowledge, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), United Kingdom England
Dr. Leahy introduced the presentation by highlighting the importance of research in response to emergencies beyond pandemics and the need to integrate research in preparedness and response frameworks. Dr. Arevalo proceeded by discussing the UK Health Security Agency’s approach to support rapid research during the pandemic. She emphasized the existing capacity and capability within the national system, including partnerships, surveillance mechanisms, sleeping studies and funding mechanisms and described examples of partnerships, outbreak investigations and research surveys, and the responsive mechanism from research funders. Further, Dr. Arevalo underlined the important role of the National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Protection Research Units in generating evidence to inform policy, practice and guidance the establishment of a research and science cell to identify knowledge gaps, prioritize research questions and coordinate activity. Finally, Dr. Arevalo emphasized the need for robust processes for prioritizing research, pathogen-agnostic protocols, and research collaboration. She outlined future strategies for pandemic preparedness, including research prioritization frameworks and international contributions and underscored the importance of research in informing response strategies.
Research as a Central Pillar in Infectious Disease Preparedness: the Experience of SSI
By Dr. Tyra Grove Krause, Executive Vice-President and Head of the Division of Epidemiological Infectious Disease Preparedness, Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Denmark
Dr. Tyra Grove Krause shared the Statens Serum Institut (SSI)'s experience with research during the pandemic, reflecting on the various knowledge gaps encountered and the strategies employed to address them. She began by outlining the institute's extensive background in infectious disease prevention and control, including surveillance, vaccine development, and scientific advisory roles, before pointing out the institute's vision to be a leading research and preparedness organization. Throughout the pandemic, the institute faced numerous knowledge gaps, prompting them to continuously seek new information to fill these gaps effectively, which underlines the importance of integrating research with surveillance activities to support timely risk assessment and response efforts.
Further, Dr. Tyra Grove Krause discussed Denmark's digital data infrastructure for surveillance and research, which facilitated data collection and analysis from various registers, including microbiology databases, vaccination registers, and patient records. She underscored the need for ongoing collaboration with academia to strengthen research capacities and address knowledge gaps effectively.
The presentation highlighted specific research areas where the institute had fruitful collaborations with universities and research institutions in evaluating the effectiveness of mitigation measures such as large-scale testing, contact tracing, and lockdowns. Dr. Tyra Grove Krause emphasized the importance of establishing research collaborations with academia during peacetime to be activated during crises, as demonstrated by examples from Denmark and the Nordic countries. She also discussed the need for more intervention studies, including randomized trials, to evaluate the effectiveness of preventive measures during pandemics.
In conclusion, Dr. Tyra Grove Krause emphasized the importance of filling research competency gaps, strengthening research capacities, and conducting intervention studies to improve evidence-based decision-making during future health emergencies.
Building Bridges to Resilience: Identifying International Good-Practice Principles in Applying Health Promotion to Emergency Preparedness and Response – An IANPHI Project Funded by the International Health Grants Program of Canada (Grant Number: 2324-Hq-000241)
By Dr. Jean-Claude Desenclos, Scientific Advisor, Santé publique France (SpF), France, and Senior Executive Board Advisor for IANPHI
Dr. Jean-Claude Desenclos presented the IANPHI project “Building Bridges to Resilience: Identifying International Good-Practice Principles in Applying Health Promotion to Emergency Preparedness and Response” funded by International Health Grants Program – Office of International Affairs for the Health Portfolio – Public Health Agency of Canada. He emphasized the importance of integrating these dimensions to address inequities and build resilience, lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. The project's objectives include collecting and analyzing evidence-based practices in applying health promotion within emergency preparedness and response (EPR), identifying good practice principles, promoting activity principles for good practices, and advocating for health promotion within EPR. Activities outlined in the project include a scoping review to collect relevant literature and reports, a survey and interviews to gather case studies, analysis of findings to identify good practices, and dissemination of results through publication. Coordination, governance, and human resources for the project involve collaboration with various organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), NPHIs, and IANPHI Regional Networks. The project aims to utilize resources from different institutes and establish a steering committee to advise on the proposal and work plan. Dr. Desenclos concluded his presentation by inviting interested individuals to participate in the project, which is in the process of becoming operational, and pointed out the need to establish the project's structure and move forward with its implementation.
Discussion: Including an Intervention on Research Competence in the Workforce Strategy
Moderated by By Dr. Tyra Grove Krause, Executive Vice-President and Head of the Division of Epidemiological Infectious Disease Preparedness, Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Denmark
Prof. Aamer Ikram The introduction of the discussion, presented by Ms. Elene Godziashvili, centered on the processes and progress of public health workforce development in Georgia, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. She highlighted the efforts of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia in strengthening and further developing the public health workforce.
Key points included the following:
- Workforce Development Policy: A strategy document for workforce development has been developed based on official workforce surveys, incorporating SWOT analysis and creating a framework for professional development and competency realization.
- Research Competence: Research competence in the public health workforce is crucial for addressing complex health challenges. Efforts are underway to establish a national framework for core competencies, tailored to the country's context and specific needs.
- Coordination and Collaboration: Ms. Elene Godziashvili emphasized the importance of coordination and collaboration in workforce development, including partnerships with international organizations and sharing best practices. Collaboration with European NPHIs was highlighted as particularly significant.
- Future Directions: Ms. Elene Godziashvili expressed a willingness to expand partnerships and collaborations, particularly with European public health institutions, to support ongoing workforce development efforts in Georgia.
During the panel discussion, questions were raised about coordinating research during crises, funding research networks between pandemics, and the challenges of ethical approval and policy alignment in research initiatives. In summary, the discussion underscored the importance of proactive workforce development strategies, collaboration, and coordination to address public health challenges effectively.