WHO WATCH: Bridging Research and Practice to Strengthen Pandemic & Epidemic Intelligence

Credit: WHO

Insights from the Inaugural Research Fellowship in Public Health Intelligence

‘Effective pandemic and epidemic intelligence depends on the ability to connect research, data, and decision-making across disciplines and sectors. Yet despite major advances in data generation and analysis, many health data systems remain fragmented — divided between research, surveillance, and service delivery streams. These silos limit how rapidly evidence can be transformed into actionable insight during health emergencies. ‘Strengthening the bridges between these domains is essential to building public health systems that are more integrated, equitable, and responsive.

‘“This speaker series session builds on the collaborative work of the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence and the Charité Center for Global Health through the Inaugural Research Fellowship in Public Health Intelligence. The Fellowship was established to advance research that addresses critical gaps identified in the WHO–Charité Technical Brief on Research Prioritization for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. These priorities include improving data governance, interoperability, analytical capacity, and the translation of evidence into policy and practice.

‘Drawing on insights from the Fellowship’s five research projects, this session explores the “data journey” of public health intelligence — from data generation and governance, through integration and analysis, to translation into policy and practice. Each Fellow’s work addresses a distinct link in this continuum: from mapping diagnostic readiness and operationalizing equitable data governance, to integrating cross-sectoral health data, improving analytical tools, and strengthening evidence uptake in policymaking. Together, these contributions illustrate how bridging research and practice can generate the actionable intelligence needed for more effective pandemic and epidemic preparedness and response.

‘The Speaker Series is co-hosted by the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence and the Charité Center for Global Health.’