Pandemic influenza preparedness plan in Liguria, Italy: a valuable tool for Public Health

Abstract

As known, influenza presents a multifaceted challenge to public health, causing disease that ranges from mild cases to severe pandemics with significant morbidity and mortality. Effective pandemic preparedness demands a comprehensive strategy that integrates research, surveillance, response coordination and community engagement, to mitigate the impact of future health emergencies. The pandemic preparedness cycle involves dynamic, cyclical phases of preparation and response aimed at enhancing response capacity. Italy's 2021-2023 National Strategic-Operational Plan for Pandemic Influenza (PanFlu) incorporates lessons learned from past pandemics and serves as a framework for regional plans, such as Liguria's. The Ligurian plan delineates governance structures, surveillance strategies, healthcare services and communication measures necessary for effective pandemic management. It emphasizes the need to strengthen links between emergency structures, to avoid duplication and to adopt flexible approaches to scale actions appropriately and highlights the need for risk/benefit analysis to support evidence-based decision-making as well as clear guidance on data collection and communication activities. By integrating these elements, the region's overall readiness and resilience against influenza pandemics are expected to be reinforced.

Keywords: Epidemiological surveillance; Influenza; Influenza pandemic plan; Pandemic preparedness.

Fig. 1.

Pandemic preparedness cycle from ECDC.