Preparing for Future Pandemics
Since Covid-19 emerged in late 2019, countries from across Europe have strived to come together with a cohesive response to fight the virus. This has proven to be a difficult task given the nature of the pandemic and the differing levels of emergency and response in each country. Rather than one unified approach from all EU Member States, individual countries are responding to the pandemic in very different ways. As a result, the pandemic has highlighted vulnerabilities in this response, and what’s required now is a more resilient, whole of EU approach to managing future pandemics.
In order for the European Union to safeguard the health of its citizens, it has begun to prioritise investment in preparing for future pandemics.
PANDEM-2 is a H2020 EU-funded project that aims to develop new solutions for efficient, EU-wide pandemic management. The goal of PANDEM-2 is to prepare Europe for future pandemics through innovations in training and to build capacity between EU member states responding to pandemics on a cross-border basis.
PANDEM-2’s core objectives
- To identify, map and integrate pandemic-related data from multiple sources into a coherent pandemic-management database
- To develop an extensible dashboard for pandemic preparedness training and response execution
- To develop a highly effective Resource Modelling and Management service
- To enable participatory surveillance that will feed into the pandemic management database
- To create and deliver resources, innovations and training for pandemic communication
- To deliver Capacity Building and develop Operational Strategy for cross border pandemic response
- To deliver long term value in the area of pandemic response beyond the lifetime of the project
Led by NUI Galway, the PANDEM-2 consortium consists of 19 partner organisations with expertise in technology, research, public health and pandemic management from across the EU. Our Advisory Board membership includes leading international health agencies the World Health Organisation (WHO), American Red Cross and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
PANDEM-2 builds upon key insights and lessons learned in previous EU-funded projects including the original PANDEM, beAWARE, CARISMAND, DARWIN, SAYSO and IN-PREP. PANDEM-2 will also be working in the same research space as other ongoing projects like STAMINA, MOOD, VEO, PATHOCERT and COSMIC and will keep up to date with their research activities to ensure that the EU’s response to pandemics is strengthened.