Redefining pandemic preparedness:Multidisciplinary insights from the CERP modelling workshop in infectious diseases,workshop report

In July 2023,the Center of Excellence in Respiratory Pathogens organized a two-day workshop on infectious diseases modelling and the lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic.This report summarizes the rich discussions that occurred during the workshop.The workshop participants discussed multisource data integration and highlighted the benefits of combining traditional surveillance with more novel data sources like mobility data,social media,and wastewater monitoring.Significant advancements were noted in the development of predictive models,with examples from various countries showcasing the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence in detecting and monitoring disease trends.The role of open collaboration between various stakeholders in modelling was stressed,advocating for the continuation of such partnerships beyond the pandemic.A major gap identified was the absence of a common international framework for data sharing,which is crucial for global pandemic preparedness.Overall,the workshop underscored the need for robust,adaptable modelling frameworks and the integration of different data sources and collaboration across sectors,as key elements in enhancing future pandemic response and preparedness.

Government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries:good practices and lessons for future preparedness

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically threatened the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC)countries which have a large proportion of foreign workers.The governments of GCC countries have proactively implemented a com-prehensive set of policy measures,and up to our knowledge,a systematic analysis of qualitative and quantitative evidence on the government response is still lacking.We summarized the GCC countries’government response and quantitatively measured that response using four indexes—the Government Response Index,the Stringency Index,the Vaccine Index,and the Initial Response Index,to analyse their response for future pandemic preparedness.Overall,the government response of all the GCC countries to the COVID-19 pandemic has been comprehensive,stringent,and timely.Notably,the GCC countries have implemented comprehensive vaccine policies.In addition,they have worked actively to protect foreign workers to improve their access to health services and secure their essential living conditions,regardless of their immigrant status.All the GCC countries dynamically adjusted their response to the evolving COVID-19 epidemiological burden and started to relax the stringency of the control poli-cies after the Omicron wave,though the governments had different response magnitudes as measured by the four indexes.These findings have provided several important lessons for future pandemic response and preparedness for countries with similar economic,demographic,and health contexts in(1)prompt actions of containment and clo-sure policies with dynamic adjusting,(2)strengthening health system policies,(3)comprehensive vaccination policies with universal access,(4)equitable and free access to testing,diagnosis,and treatment for all,and(5)strengthening the resilience of health systems.