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 further supported by NCCID, 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. |
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