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During the early
stages of the 2009 influenza pandemic, a
CIHR funded team was formed
to evaluate mitigation strategies for pandemic preparedness, and
provide guidance to public
health planners and decision makers for optimizing health
responses. The principal objective of the “Pandemic Influenza
Outbreak Research Modelling” (Pan-InfORM)
team is to develop innovative knowledge translation
methodologies and inform policy makers through modeling
frameworks that forge strong links between theory, policy, and
practice.
Pan-InfORM is
supported by the
CIHR,
Mitacs,
Mprime,
NSERC and
GEOIDE,
and has benefited from collaborations with several provincial
and federal health agencies. With its strong networking
capacity, the team has become a national entity with diverse
activities involving public health professionals, planners and
providers, policy decision makers, and leading infectious
disease modellers. Within such dynamic interactions, Pan-InfORM
has successfully executed several important projects with
significant public health implications. In addition to applying
models as essential tools for creating new knowledge, the team
has established concrete platforms through which modeling
outcomes are translated to improve health policy, provide more
effective clinical and public health services, and strengthen
our healthcare system in response to the 2009 influenza A/H1N1
pandemic and future emerging infectious threats. |