Preparedness Hub
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the impacts that a global health crisis can have on all aspects of our lives. This does not happen only during pandemics; other crises can have wide impacts on our societies: e.g. armed conflict, terrorist attacks, nuclear or chemical accidents and climate-driven disasters. Environmental and public health crises require rapid and flexible responses, based on the best scientific and technological knowledge available.
To improve the effectiveness and acceptability of emergency response, we need to draw from existing experiences at the global and local levels, generate new scientific knowledge specific to diverse crises and promote and ensure access to timely and relevant evidence for public decision-making authorities.
What Is PR3?
We coined the term PR3 as the concept that combines the different phases of preparing for and responding to crises: Preparedness, Response, Recovery and Resilience. For more information on each phase and on the model see here.
What Do We Do?
Main Research Themes
ISGlobal aims to be a centre of reference for research and translation in PR3, specifically to improve preparedness and promote resilience to health and climate emergencies irrespective of borders, bringing together experts in Europe and other regions (including LMICs) with complementary expertise into a PR3 Network and making strategic alliances with the following goals:
This includes:
- developing frameworks and core protocols for surveillance/research in case of crisis that can be rapidly adapted to a particular crisis at hand; and
- encouraging the establishment of appropriate infrastructures and of a collaborative framework for near real-time data collection, sharing, analysis, alerts, investigation, and response (both at the local and global levels).
This involves:
- identifying and mobilizing appropriate expertise (both inside ISGlobal and in the network) to provide knowledge and information to public health authorities and to the civil society, at all levels: local (city), regional, national and global; and
- linking with appropriate initiatives -including the European Health Emergency Response Authority, the Iberoamerican Epidemiological Observatory, and others.
This involves conducting research in our areas of competence, in collaboration with partners and entities in the network. Particular research areas include risk identification, risk assessment, risk-benefit evaluation to feed into policy decisions.
Advice will be based on the best current evidence from ISGlobal researchers and the network of experts and professionals.
The ISGlobal PR3 group:
- Coordinates and facilitates collaboration, synergies and funding, within and outside ISGlobal, for research, policy & global development, innovation, communication and education;
- Promotes a meaningful strategic research agenda;
- Promotes translation of research results and activities to generate impact in policy and society; and
- Provides internal and external capacity building to effectively provide strategic guidance for response to future health crises.
Main Research Lines
Many ISGlobal researchers conduct relevant research on PR3 (see more here):
- Pandemic and outbreak preparedness
- Nuclear accidents
- Climate change
- Health impact assessment
- Early warning systems
- Communication and stakeholder involvement
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Our activities
Highlighted Projects
ISGlobal Related Publications and Multimedia
Policy Papers or Briefs:
- All-Hazards Preparedness Policy Briefs Series: The All-Hazards Preparedness Approach: How Can We Be Better Prepared for the Next Public Health Crisis? / How Can We Face the Economic Downturns of Systemic Crises? / How Can We Prepare for and Respond to Radiological Incidents During Armed Conflicts? / Why Is it Urgent to Reach an Agreement on Pandemics? A Proposal for a European Position / Are We Ready for the Next Pandemic? A Global Vision
- SHAMISEN: Recommendations and procedures for preparedness and health surveillance of populations affected by a radiation accident
- Urban planning for resilience and health: key messages. A collaboration between ISGlobal and the World Health Organization
ISGlobal PR3 activities
- PR3 Concept Note.
- ISGlobal PR3 Strategic Research Agenda.
- 2021 Inventory of PR3 activities at ISGlobal.
- Workshop A PR3 Challenge: Preparedness and Response in the Era of Systemic Environment and Health Crises. Barcelona/Madrid May 2022.
- Seminar Pandemic preparedness: a whole-of-society approach. March 2023.
- Workshop PR3 after the COVID-19 pandemic. Barcelona November 2023.
- Seminar From Negotiation to Action: Strengthening Governance of and Building Financing for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, organised by ISGlobal, the Spanish Embassy to the United States of America and the Center for Global Development (CGD). May 2024. Post about it: An Effective Pandemic Agreement Will Not Be Popular. And That Is Not Bad News.
- International Symposium Collaborating for Global Health: Shared Challenges and Responsibilities. Berlin, June 2024. Co-organised by the EU-LAC Foundation and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Recording of Part 1 and Part 2.
Other Related Activities
Outreach:
- Proyecto Alia, Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona: ¿Qué es una ciudad resiliente?
- Joves per la Medicina 2021/2022, Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera. Pandemic Preparedness
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Our External Activities
- Organization of symposia related to PR3
- Epidemiological studies for Preparedness and Response to Public Health and Environmental Crises and Disasters. International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, Athens, September 2022
- Deep dive session: Preparedness and response to health emergencies – The role of cities. G-STIC (Global Sustainable Technology and Innovation Community), Rio de Janeiro, February 2023. ISGlobal Forges Alliances in Brazil
- Technical Secretariat of the Observatorio Epidemiológico Iberoamericano:
- News
- Video
- Free online course The Urban heat Island Effect: How to tackle excess heat in cities (a collaboration between ISGlobal and EIT Urban Mobility
Who are we?
Working group created in December 2020 to develop a strategic working roadmap for Preparedness and Response involving the research and global policy departments.
The PR3 team brings together researchers and policy experts from most of the scientific programmes and translation departments at ISGlobal.
Our Team
Core Group
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Elisabet Cardis Research Professor, Head of the Radiation Group
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Gonzalo Fanjul Policy and Development Director
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Elizabet Diago Associated Researcher
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Clara Marín Policy Officer
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Antoni Plasència Distinguished fellow - Former Director General
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DENISE NANICHE Scientific Director