Global network to explore why pandemic warnings were ignored
A global network for government science advisers has set up an online hub to try to coordinate policy work on the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
The International Network for Government Science Advice says the initiative is not intended to replace existing forums for sharing biomedical research knowledge, but is focused on the science and policy interface of the pandemic.
“Scientists and public health experts have been pointing out for many years the inevitability of a major pandemic,” said the network’s chair Peter Gluckman in a blog post on 25 March, announcing the hub’s launch.
“Yet the level of global preparation in recent years has arguably been limited by a failure to appreciate the significance of such warnings. We might ask why is this the case? Why did the evidence-policy nexus fail?”
The network plans to run a virtual conference in September where this and related questions can be discussed.