Dealing with swine flu
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
AS one of the swine flu survivors, I would like to draw your kind attention as well as our policy makers and health service providers that a comprehensive research agenda for pandemic influenza is needed to improve the evidence base. This agenda should include conducting studies to gain more knowledge of the epidemiology of influenza, the effectiveness of community-based interventions, the use of medical countermeasures that compliment community strategies, the modification of existing mathematical modelling to include adverse societal consequences, and the development of new modelling frameworks to assess the effectiveness of interventions during a pandemic outbreak.
The goals of planning for an influenza pandemic are to save lives and to reduce adverse personal, social, and economic consequences of a pandemic; however, it is recognised that even the best plans may not completely protect everyone. Such planning must be done at the individual, local, tribal, state and international levels, as well as by businesses and employers and other organisations, in a co-ordinated manner. Interventions intended for mitigating a pandemic pose challenges for individuals and families, employers (both public and private), schools, childcare programs, colleges and universities, and local communities.
Pre-pandemic, scenario-based planning offers an opportunity to better understand and weigh the benefits of possible interventions as well as identify strategies to maximise the number of people protected while reducing, to the greatest extent possible, the adverse social, logistical, and economic effects of proposed interventions.
Avik Sengupta
Biochemistry, McGill University
Montreal, Canada
e-mail: avik.sengupta@mail.mail.mcgill.ca
The goals of planning for an influenza pandemic are to save lives and to reduce adverse personal, social, and economic consequences of a pandemic; however, it is recognised that even the best plans may not completely protect everyone. Such planning must be done at the individual, local, tribal, state and international levels, as well as by businesses and employers and other organisations, in a co-ordinated manner. Interventions intended for mitigating a pandemic pose challenges for individuals and families, employers (both public and private), schools, childcare programs, colleges and universities, and local communities.
Pre-pandemic, scenario-based planning offers an opportunity to better understand and weigh the benefits of possible interventions as well as identify strategies to maximise the number of people protected while reducing, to the greatest extent possible, the adverse social, logistical, and economic effects of proposed interventions.
Avik Sengupta
Biochemistry, McGill University
Montreal, Canada
e-mail: avik.sengupta@mail.mail.mcgill.ca