Intersectoral collaboration is important to detect potential pandemics
Researchers highlighted the importance of communities, the State and the Academy collaborating in the prevention of public health challenges
SANTO DOMINGO. - The State, the Academy and communities play fundamental roles in the early identification of health conditions among their inhabitants that can become pandemic phenomena.
The topic was widely discussed during the fourth edition of the Annual Meeting of Epistemic Communities (EPISTHEME 2024), a scientific event held at the Social Security Auditorium of Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), which brought together national and international experts.
The activity, under the theme “Developing Research Platforms to Prevent and Mitigate Pandemic Phenomena”, was organized by the Two Oceans Foundation, led by researchers Eddy Pérez Then and Marija Miric.
In the opening speech of the event, Víctor Atallah, Minister of Public Health and Distinguished Graduate of INTEC, expressed that public health challenges are increasingly complex and require collective intelligence, with the intervention of multiple actors from different sectors of the country.
“Pandemics do not respect borders or disciplines, and therefore we must integrate knowledge from epidemiology, biology, data science, sociology and economics. This integration allows us to develop more precise predictive models, identify pathogens quickly and assess the impact on health measures, as well as generate strengths in response capacity and promote much more effective solutions,” he added, referring to the interdisciplinary approaches in research into these issues.
In his participation, Julio Sánchez Maríñez, rector of INTEC, highlighted the role of academic institutions: generating, validating and disseminating scientific knowledge in an ethical and effective manner, especially in the production of information and documents related to the International Health Regulations (IHR), "a vital tool in the protection of public health at a global level, providing a legal framework for a coordinated response to public health emergencies."
“Our universities and research centres must be at the heart of the production of this essential knowledge. We must train professionals who are not only qualified to apply the RSI in their settings, but who can also contribute to the continued development of this framework through innovative research and critical evaluation,” he said.
Like the Minister of Public Health, Sánchez Maríñez emphasized the importance of alliances to solve problems that have a national and international impact. “Only through these strategic alliances can we ensure that our institutions can perform their training and research responsibilities in better conditions and with greater success, and that our graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to face the complex and growing challenges of today's world,” he said.
During the event, experts agreed on the importance of involving community leaders in health policies, since the first to detect warning signs in their sector is the community.
Pérez Then recalled that the population is a survivor of a pandemic that generated a major health and humanitarian crisis, showing that a phenomenon of this nature can return at any time and that it is the community members who are the first thermometer for detecting illnesses that can spread.
This topic has become more interesting after the countless epidemiological alerts issued by the Ministry of Health for different diseases.
EPISTHEME 2024
Marija Miric, Executive Director of the Two Oceans Foundation, explained that this fourth edition of the Annual Meeting of Epistemic Communities EPISTHEME 2024 brings together health professionals, social scientists, community leaders and decision-makers, being a space that seeks to generate new knowledge applicable at the local level, as well as providing facilities for young researchers.
“We live in a globalized world in which many things are shared and although each country has its own determinants, through EPISTHEME and other spaces we try to promote the use of global research tools in local areas, creating capacities that are relevant to us,” explained Dr. Miric.
EPISTHEME is a legacy of Antonio de Moya, one of the most prolific researchers in the country, explained Dr. Pérez Then, which they wanted to maintain in order to generate new knowledge and develop a space for health professionals who want to develop their ideas and share with other researchers.
The scientific activity was carried out in a hybrid format. Among the topics addressed through conferences and panels were: the implementation and sustainability of the International Health Regulations, artificial intelligence and its potential role in the prevention of pandemic phenomena, and the role of specialized societies in the prevention of pandemics, among others.