Interdisciplinary Approaches to Pandemic Preparedness

Influenza and COVID-19 pandemics had a massive global impact, not only due to acute infection-related illnesses and deaths, but also due to long-term effects that have further exacerbated the impact. These include long-term consequences that go beyond the respiratory tract, such as cardiovascular disease outcomes and postacute infectious syndromes (PAIS)/Long-COVID as well as pronounced effects on mental health.

This session will bring together scientists and practitioners from interdisciplinary fields to summarize the current knowledge regarding the medical and mental health impact of pandemics. It will also include a discussion on vaccination effects and the balancing of virus control measures and mental health effects.

Another key lesson of the COVID-19 pandemic was that we need to invest in a resilient and competent healthcare work force. The WHO has taken the initiative to create the WHO Academy with the purpose to critically strengthen lifelong learning for healthcare workers globally.

We will finalize the session with key recommendations in preparation for future pandemics.