Pre-conference: Assessing COVID-19 response strategies: lessons, legacies and future preparedness

Wednesday 8 November, 9:00 – 17:00 Dublin time (network lunch included)


Organised by:

Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland 

Introduction

In May 2023, the World Health Organization declared an end to the global emergency status for the COVID-19 pandemic after more than three years. As we transition from crisis management to addressing the lasting effects of the pandemic, it becomes crucial to critically assess the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on European health systems. With over 200,000 scientific papers already published on the topic, COVID-19 is poised to become one of the most extensively studied pandemics. This surge in research raises important questions about the legacies and lessons learned for public health. Can we foster a commitment and interest within the public health community to engage in these discussions while simultaneously addressing other pressing crises, such as a war in Europe, that require consistent political attention? Furthermore, what political, economic, social, and cultural factors should be considered when assessing the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years? In this preconference, we undertake a critical examination and evaluation of European public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to understand their potential impact on shaping and transforming health system preparedness in the future.

In this preconference, our primary focus is to undertake a critical examination and evaluation of the decisions made to control the COVID-19 crisis in Europe. We aim to understand the effectiveness and implications of these strategies in shaping and transforming health system preparedness for future challenges. By assessing and learning from the past, we strive to contribute to the advancement of evidence-based policies and practices that enhance public health resilience in the face of crises.

Programme 

09:00 – 10:30 How has the COVID-19 pandemic shaped European health systems? (1)

  • Opening and introduction – Mika Salminen, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Finland: facilitators and barriers to resilience (TBC) – Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland
  • Sweden’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic - Wilhelm Linder, Uppsala University, Sweden
  • Pandemic Response in Ireland (TBC)

10:30 – 11:00 Coffee/tea break

11:00 – 12:30 How has the COVID-19 pandemic shaped European health systems? (2)

  • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal: strategies and outcomes (TBC) – Ricardo Mexia, National Health Institute Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Portugal (TBC)
  • Will we ever learn – Are fur farms a springboard to a new pandemic? - Otto Helve, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland
  • Panel discussion
    • Otto Helve, Wilhelm Lindner, Ricardo Mexia, Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch break

13:30 – 15:00 Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: society, law, and politics

  • Monitoring and evaluating the societal impact of COVID-19 pandemic - lessons from Finland – Laura Kestilä, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland
  • Restrictive measures and the rule of law - challenges and solutions – Eeva Nykänen, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland
  • Power and politics: Understudied factors in health system preparedness? – Laura Kihlström, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland

15:00 – 15:30 Coffee/tea break

15:30 – 17:00 Building resilience in the face of future crises

  • Creating your Legacy in Shocking Times! Reflections on leveraging complex crises - Stephen Thomas, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
  • Enhancing European resilience for cross-border threats – Isabel de la Mata, DG Sante, European Commission
  • Panel discussion
    • Isabel de la Mata, Mika Salminen, Stephen Thomas, Karin Tegemark Wisell, Public Health Agency of Sweden, Sweden

17:00 Closing

Presenters, moderators and panel discussants

  • Otto Helve, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland
  • Ilmo Keskimäki, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland
  • Laura Kestilä, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland
  • Laura Kihlström, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland
  • Wilhelm Linder, Uppsala University, Sweden
  • Isabel de la Mata, DG Sante, European Commission
  • Ricardo Mexia, National Health Institute Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Portugal (TBC)
  • Eeva Nykänen, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland
  • Mika Salminen, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland
  • Stephen Thomas, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
  • Karin Tegemark Wisell, Public Health Agency of Sweden, Sweden
  • Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland

Registration

The registration fee is € 150 which includes networking lunch and refreshments.