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. 2024 Jul 1;34(Supplement_1):i81-i86.
doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckae035.

How to help countries improve resilience during a pandemic: an example of a Rapid Exchange Forum

Claudia Habl  1 , Johannes Weiss  1 , Anita Gottlob  1 , Miriam Saso  2 , Nienke Schutte  2 , Petronille Bogaert  2 , Marília Silva Paulo  3 , Luís Velez Lapão  3   4   5
Affiliations

How to help countries improve resilience during a pandemic: an example of a Rapid Exchange Forum

Claudia Habl et al. Eur J Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic demanded quick exchanges between experts and institutions supporting governments to provide evidence-based information in response to the crisis. Initially, there was no regular cross-country forum in the field of population health. This paper describes the set-up and benefits of implementing such a forum.

Methods: A group of public health practitioners from academia, national public health institutes and ministries of health decided in April 2020 to meet bi-monthly to discuss a vast array of population health topics in a structured format called a Rapid Exchange Forum (REF). An ad-hoc mailing group was established to collect responses to questions brought forward in the forum from at least five countries within 24 h. This endeavour, which evolved as network of networks was awarded an EU grant in autumn 2020 and was called PHIRI (Population Health Information Research Infrastructure).

Results: Responses from up to 31 countries were compiled and shared immediately via the European Health Information Portal. This exchange was complemented by special REFs that focused on the advantages and disadvantages of vaccination, for example. By July 2023, 54 REFs had taken place with topics going beyond COVID-19.

Conclusion: The REF demonstrated its value for quick yet evidence-based cross-country exchange in times of crisis and was highly appreciated by countries and European Commission. It demonstrated its sustainability even after the acute crisis by expanding the topics covered and managing to continue exchange with the aim of capacity building and mutual learning, making it a true EU response and coordination mechanism.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Excess mortality in EU member states from March 2020 to January 2023 and PHIRI Rapid Exchange Forum (REF) milestones. Sources: American Society for Microbiology,4 EUROSTAT.5.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Participation of countries in REFs and frequency by which countries provide a reply to issues put forward in REF (country responses), April 2020 to May 2023 Source: GÖG-PHIRI Secretariat 2023.11.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Word cloud on major topics in REFs November 2020 to May 2023 Source: GÖG-PHIRI Secretariat 2023.11.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Participation and response rates on the topic of vaccination in REFs between November 2020 and October 2022 Source: GÖG-PHIRI Secretariat 2023.11.
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References

    1. The European Health Information Portal (HIP). One-stop shop for population health and health care data, information and expertise across Europe. Available at: https://www.healthinformationportal.eu (5 September 2023, date last accessed).
    1. INFACT. Joint Action on Health Information. Available at: https://www.inf-act.eu/ (7 June 2023, date last accessed).
    1. PHIRI. PREPARE cluster. Available at: https://www.phiri.eu/prepare-cluster (5 September 2023, date last accessed).
    1. American Society for Microbiology (ASM). Timeline of events. Available at: https://asm.org/Resource-Pages/COVID-19-Resources (24 May 2023, date last accessed).
    1. EUROSTAT. Excess mortality by month data set. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/DEMO_MEXRT__custom_633318... (4 May 2023, date last accessed).