Epistemic preparedness

Warwick Anderson^{1

2}, Kari Lancaster³, Sonja van Wichelen⁴, Seye Abimbola⁵, Rachel A Ankeny⁶, Lukas Engelmann⁷, Lyle Fearnley⁸, Tamara Giles-Vernick^{9

10}, Benjamin Hegarty¹¹, Freya L Jephcott^{12

13}, Nicolo P Ludovice¹⁴, Janet Roitman¹⁵, Jacob Steere-Williams¹⁶, Mark Stoove^{17

18}, John Noel Viaña¹⁹, Catherine Waldby¹⁹, Rachel Yang¹²

Affiliations

¹ School of Social and Political Sciences and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia warwick.anderson@sydney.edu.au.
² Centre for Health Equity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
³ University of Bath, Bath, UK.
⁴ School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁵ School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁶ Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
⁷ The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
⁸ Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore.
⁹ Global Health, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
¹⁰ Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
¹¹ Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia.
¹² The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹³ Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
¹⁴ The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
¹⁵ RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹⁶ College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
¹⁷ Burnet Institute Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹⁸ School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹⁹ ANU, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

PMID: 40550575
PMCID: PMC12184354
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-018719

Review

Epistemic preparedness

Warwick Anderson et al. BMJ Glob Health. 2025.

. 2025 Jun 22;10(6):e018719.

doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-018719.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Social and Political Sciences and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia warwick.anderson@sydney.edu.au.
² Centre for Health Equity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
³ University of Bath, Bath, UK.
⁴ School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁵ School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁶ Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
⁷ The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
⁸ Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore.
⁹ Global Health, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
¹⁰ Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
¹¹ Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia.
¹² The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹³ Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
¹⁴ The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
¹⁵ RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹⁶ College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
¹⁷ Burnet Institute Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹⁸ School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹⁹ ANU, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

PMID: 40550575
PMCID: PMC12184354
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-018719

Abstract

Preparedness strategies for emergent infectious diseases have focused on microbial surveillance, medical stockpiling and healthcare infrastructure resilience. But what does it mean to be epistemically or cognitively prepared for the next disease outbreak? Taking stock of lessons for data practices and statistical modelling in the wake of COVID-19, we propose a reconceptualising of preparedness in global health, focusing on ecological and sociological configurations or framings rather than resorting to reductive 'crisis technologies'. We address three problem areas: data collection and sharing, outbreak modelling and the spatiotemporal structuring of analysis and intervention. We take these as illustrative of troubling effects of conceptual inflexibility. We inquire into alternative data practices and more complex epidemiological framings. This refiguring of our cognitive toolkit implies working through colonial legacies and national limitations embedded in governance of epidemiological reasoning. Epistemic preparedness-focusing on a more diverse, equitable and inclusive stocktaking as much as stockpiling-provides a reliable foundation for future disease outbreak management.

Keywords: COVID-19; Epidemiology; Global Health; Health policy; Interdisciplinary Research.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

References

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Epistemic preparedness

Affiliations

Epistemic preparedness

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical