Respiratory pathogens pandemic preparedness: perspectives on research priorities and key measures of success: meeting report, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, 28 September 2022
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World Health Organization
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[iv], 7 p.
This meeting report summarizes discussions held at a World Health Organization (WHO) consultation on respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness convened in Belfast, United Kingdom, on 28 September 2022. Bringing together policymakers, respiratory disease programme managers and academic experts, the meeting contributed to the development of WHO guidance on preparedness and resilience for emerging respiratory threats. Drawing on lessons learned from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, participants examined priorities for strengthening preparedness planning through an integrated approach that combines pathogen-specific and pathogen-agnostic capacities. Key topics included research needs for respiratory pathogens with pandemic potential, preparedness planning frameworks, and approaches to monitoring and evaluation. The report highlights the importance of leveraging existing systems, conducting regular risk assessments, strengthening research on diagnostics, vaccines, antivirals and non-pharmaceutical interventions, and improving collaboration between scientific and public health networks. Discussions also emphasized the need for monitoring frameworks that assess functional preparedness capacities across coordination, surveillance, community engagement, clinical care and access to countermeasures. Participants underscored that preparedness strategies, research priorities and evaluation measures should be adapted to national contexts and operational capacities. The meeting findings informed WHO’s ongoing work to support countries in developing coherent, sustainable and evidence-informed approaches to respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness.
This meeting report summarizes discussions held at a World Health Organization (WHO) consultation on respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness convened in Belfast, United Kingdom, on 28 September 2022. Bringing together policymakers, respiratory disease programme managers and academic experts, the meeting contributed to the development of WHO guidance on preparedness and resilience for emerging respiratory threats. Drawing on lessons learned from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, participants examined priorities for strengthening preparedness planning through an integrated approach that combines pathogen-specific and pathogen-agnostic capacities. Key topics included research needs for respiratory pathogens with pandemic potential, preparedness planning frameworks, and approaches to monitoring and evaluation. The report highlights the importance of leveraging existing systems, conducting regular risk assessments, strengthening research on diagnostics, vaccines, antivirals and non-pharmaceutical interventions, and improving collaboration between scientific and public health networks. Discussions also emphasized the need for monitoring frameworks that assess functional preparedness capacities across coordination, surveillance, community engagement, clinical care and access to countermeasures. Participants underscored that preparedness strategies, research priorities and evaluation measures should be adapted to national contexts and operational capacities. The meeting findings informed WHO’s ongoing work to support countries in developing coherent, sustainable and evidence-informed approaches to respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness.