#17,958
Just over 17 years (Feb. 1st, 2007), at a time when - as today - H5N1 was the hot pandemic topic, the CDC & HHS unveiled their 2007 Community Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation plan.
That 108 page document covered a variety of topics, including the creation of a pandemic severity scale, and the expected role of NPI's (Non Pharmaceutical Interventions) in combating any pandemic outbreak (see The CDC Does NPI).
That plan was updated in 2017, and we've seen similar products from other agencies, including the WHO and ECDC. All pretty much acknowledged that in the opening months of a novel pandemic, pharmaceutical options (vaccines, antivirals, etc.) would be limited.
While social distancing, face masks, and even limited shutdowns of public venues (movie theaters, schools, etc) were frequently mentioned, none of it approached the level and duration of the `lockdowns' we experienced during much of 2020 and into 2021.
While we can't know how much worse things might have been without those lockdowns, it likely prevented many hospitals from being overrun, and averted the potential collapse of the healthcare delivery system.
But it came at a tremendous cost, both in terms of the economy, and in our societal mental and physical health.
Since another pandemic virus could emerge at any time, many healthcare agencies are looking back at the successes, failures, and costs of public health measures taken during the worst of the COVID pandemic, in hopes of reducing the negative impacts of future responses.
While we use the term NPI (Non-pharmaceutical Interventions), the ECDC uses the term: Public health and social measures (PHSMs) refer to non-pharmaceutical measures implemented in community settings to abate the spread of infectious disease.
Today the ECDC has published recommendations and considerations for planning for the next pandemic in advance of a meeting (ECDC consultation on the implementation and evaluation of PHSMs in community settings) to be held in late May.
The following is an excerpt from an ECDC news release on this document:
“It is likely that PHSMs will be once again relied upon in the early phases of future pandemics. It is vital that lessons continue to be learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and that these are integrated into pandemic preparedness plans in a way that informs decision-making and action during future health emergencies and pandemics,” says Jonathan Suk, ECDC Principal Expert for Emergency Preparedness and Response.
The report provides recommendations across five areas:
- Incorporating PHSMs in health security governance landscapes – which are the processes, structures and institutions in place to oversee and manage a country's healthcare system;
- Monitoring and assessing the implementation of PHSMs;
- Assessing the broader social and public health impact of PHSMs;
- Building trust and ensuring effective communication through community engagement;
- Enhancing multi-disciplinary coordination in decision-making.
The Executive Summary, and a link to the 25-page PDF, follow:
Public health and social measures for health emergencies and pandemics in the EU/EEA: recommendations for strengthening preparedness planningGuidance
20 Mar 2024
Public health and social measures (PHSMs) refer to non-pharmaceutical measures implemented in community settings to abate the spread of infectious disease.
This document outlines key strategic and operational considerations to inform pandemic preparedness planning around the design and implementation of PHSMs in community settings in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA).
Executive summary
The potential future implementation of PHSM requires careful consideration – informed by lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic – and should be explicitly addressed by national pandemic preparedness plans. During future epidemics and pandemics, there may be a period of time before the widespread availability of medical countermeasures where PHSMs may again be relied upon to reduce disease transmission, and mitigate deleterious health impacts. The public health objective of reducing overall harms to population health should continue to apply in crisis situations. A general principle should be that measures with the highest level of acceptability/feasibility and the lowest negative consequences could be introduced first and removed last, while also noting that the early implementation of some measures will yield the highest effectiveness.
This guidance document identifies key issues and recommendations, informed through extensive consultation with experts and ECDC stakeholders, related to the application of PHSMs in community settings. The recommendation presented here are intended to assist national and international public health institutions in identifying potential priority areas for work within their jurisdictions. It is noted that many matters discussed here may require extensive cross-governmental collaboration and sponsorship, but given the high stakes surrounding pandemic management – not to mention the significant impacts that PHSMs may have on communities – commensurate efforts are warranted.
Public health and social measures for health emergencies and pandemics in the EU/EEA: recommendations for strengthening preparedness planning - EN - [PDF-847.87 KB]
