Scientific Response to a Pandemic, The

According to the article, it is possible that sometime in the future, the world will face some kind of pandemic. Biological scientists would then face the challenge of characterising the pathogen and determining how to control it. The article proposes that their scientific judgments and public statements will shape the global pandemic response. During the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, scientists generated information that influenced everything from medical treatments to travel restrictions, trade policy, and political decisions. Given the importance of getting scientific information out into the world, scientists should consider now how they will respond and communicate in the setting of the next pandemic.

The Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center organised an International Conference on Biosafety and Biorisks in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response Office in 2005. More than 150 scientists and public health practitioners from 25 countries gathered in Lyon, France, to hear speakers from the WHO, the European Commission, scientific journals, Interpol, and public health networks - many of the institutions and individuals who will likely play key roles in the global response to the next pandemic. By discussing the biosafety and biosecurity challenges presented by past epidemics , participants recognised the importance of scientific and public health collaboration in combating disease, as well as the need to plan.

The article states that scientists, journal editorial boards, and other scientific professional organisations should consider creating standards for communicating scientific results, so decision makers can make use of the information and scientists can get professional recognition for their work. Traditionally, scientists communicate results through conferences and peer-reviewed publications. Sharing results with the press may save time, but there are problems with this approach: the reports are not peer reviewed and newspapers do not usually give in-depth technical reports of experimental results, which limit the usefulness of news reports to researchers.

Publication in scientific journals also poses problems. While journals provide peer review and professional recognition for the authors, publication is often slow. In the absence of hard data, some reporters cover the reactions of people who have seen papers under review. The article proposes that one way to speed dissemination of results is for scientific journals to agree to peer review articles of importance within 24 hours, before web posting. Reviewers should also have strict deadlines so that they do not delay important information being made public.

According to the article, in the event of an avian influenza (avian flu or bird flu) pandemic, it is likely that the WHO will co-ordinate the international response. The WHO relies on a variety of information networks and laboratories, such as the Global Public Health Intelligence Network, which gathers reports of disease outbreaks in seven languages, and proMED-mail, which is an open-source electronic reporting system for disease outbreaks. A similar set of open-source electronic systems for scientists to convey information and collaborate could also amplify WHO scientific expertise and the availability of hard data for decision making in a pandemic.

The article concludes that, "scientific information fuels and directs the response to epidemics. Public health professionals, clinicians, politicians, journalists, and members of the public will make critical decisions based on what is known about a disease as an outbreak unfolds. Scientists can take this opportunity, before the next pandemic, to plan to give accurate information to those who need it as fast and as safely as possible."