On May 18, 2022 STRATEGY participated in the First International Summit on Pandemic Management, speaking on the panel entitled Preparing for Future Health Crises.
The event took place in Valencia, Spain and explored various perspectives on the management of future health crises. There was a particular focus on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with future trends of pandemic management that observed and took into account the plethora of global health security threats and risks in the contemporary world.
About the Event
Because these emergency situations require joint efforts and large-scale planning for preparedness and response for countries to be able to deal with multiple challenges, the conference was attended by a vast array of experts. Attendees included regional and national planners, policy makers, civil protection agencies, law enforcement agencies, front-line practitioners, and experts in the areas of emergencies, health, and field research. All were given the opportunity speak and list, and attendees were welcomed both virtually and in-person.
The event was produced in collaboration with other European Union funded H2020 Projects and integrated in the context of the Preparedness and Response for Emergency Situations in Europe (PREPARE) Cluster. STRATEGY was represented by Júlio Gouveia-Carvalho from the Military Academy Research Center of the Portuguese Army.
He participated the panel discussion Preparing for Future Health Crises, which was moderated by Michael Middelhoff (of the STAMINA project). Also on the panel were Paolo Giudici (PERISCOPE project), Sofia Tsekeridou (COVID-X project), Alexis Sentís (PANDEM-2 project) and Dasha Ilic (COVINFORM project).
What was discussed?
The panel emphasized the importance of data management and joint efforts in pre-standardisation and interoperability in the management of future health emergencies. It highlighted the main concepts of crisis management as a paradigm for pandemic preparedness and response, and was based on multisectoral approaches, which involved a wide range of entities.
As it relates to the STRATEGY project, there is a critical focus on streamlining and validating interoperability in systems and procedures. These focuses align with the common objectives of the PREPARE cluster, where different projects tackle challenges specifically looking at the preparedness and response phases of crisis management. All of the projects work together with the aim to achieve stronger results and greater societal impact in these industries.
STRATEGY was proud to participate in the First International Summit on Pandemic Management as it was an important opportunity to explore synergies, research opportunities and deliver joint activities to maximize the impact of the projects. These projects, integrated in the PREPARE Cluster, are all grounded on mutual support to strengthen the response to the ongoing crisis and our common goal to be better prepared for future health crises.
Author: Júlio Gouveia-Carvalho, Military Academy Research Center (CINAMIL) – Portuguese Army