Why we need an intelligence-led approach to pandemics: supporting science and public health during COVID-19 and beyond

Veterinary intelligence: integrating zoonotic threats into global health security

“…We have previously described the need to transition from traditional public health/biosurveillance to a health security intelligence approach to epi-pandemics. [15][16][17] This also needs to include zoonotic threats through a veterinary intelligence approach.…”

“…We have previously described the need to transition from traditional public health/biosurveillance to a health security intelligence approach to epi-pandemics. 15–17 This also needs to include zoonotic threats through a veterinary intelligence approach. The repeated interface of humans and animals necessitates a focus on generating data and producing actionable intelligence to aid the prevention and early detection of zoonotic spillover events.…”

The challenges facing evidence-based decision making in the initial response to COVID-19

“…Calls for evidence-based decision making have primarily been spearheaded by health experts and agencies with a focus on how to promote evidence-based decision making in the policy process (see, e.g., Brownson et al [6], Oliver and Cairney [7], Salajan et al [8] and Topp et al [9]). There has been less focus on critically addressing the shortcomings of evidencebased decision making during major health crises (the studies by Bensimon and Upshur [10], Greenhalgh and Russell [11], Rosella et al [12] and Bowsher and Sullivan [13] are noticeable exceptions). Evidence-based decision making is here understood broadly as public policymaking using the best available scientific evidence in systematic and transparent processes [3].…”

“…Thus, we explicitly link scientific evidence to policymaking rather than to clinical management and care for individual patients. This has also been referred to as science-led policymaking in some pandemic research [1,13]. Publichealth experts or scientific advisers often play prominent roles in such evidence-based policymaking.…”

Science and a global conscience: remaking the world we broke

“…Instead science and public health must be supported and integrated into an intelligence-led approach. 3 We also need to be mindful of how other countries have succeeded, and not condemn ourselves to a national silo of maverick policy making. We need help and we need to help others.…”