Citation

Salmi LR. Inj. Prev. 2022; 28(2): 103-104.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/injuryprev-2022-044543

PMID

35314458

Abstract

In October 2021, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development organised a virtual event on 'Priority setting and coordination of research agendas: lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic'.1 Over 4 days, the event addressed key issues around data collection, development of an evidence base, coordination and preparedness for crises. Other international or national public health agencies (eg, see reference 2 for France) have taken similar initiatives. Many of the issues raised during the workshops question the ability of national and international public health systems to tackle acute catastrophic events such as pandemics. Although the focus was clearly transmissible diseases, issues are also relevant to the impact of such catastrophes on the ability of a society to continue dealing with other health problems. For the readership of Injury Prevention, these include the endemic occurrence of injuries, but also the impact of a crisis and subsequent policies and interventions on mental health, addictions and violence, and on the availability of healthcare resources for people with injuries.

Dealing with such catastrophes requires changing from the traditional vision, where each disease, disorder or injury are seen and addressed as separate entities, to a 'syndemic' approach to population health, disease control and policy.3 The syndemic theory considers the negative interaction between health conditions of all types (transmissible, chronic disorders, injury, etc) and the key role of inequality drivers such as poverty, stigmatisation and structural violence.3 Adverse interactions can occur between simultaneously or sequentially occurring events. This systemic approach also implies reconsideration of the way we gather data regarding population health and evidence on interventions and policies.

To address catastrophes and the adverse interactions with and within the health system, I submit that we reconsider intelligence and information gathering on injuries, violence and other conditions to better support decision makers. Functions of such a goal-oriented integrated system...

Language: en

Keywords

*COVID-19; *epidemiology; *health services; *public health