Grant: Applied Public Health Chair - LOI

In spite of ongoing advancements in drug therapy and vaccine development, we continue to face serious outbreaks of infectious disease, causing much burden on public health care systems. Among industrialized countries, Canada has one of the highest costs associated with its public health and healthcare system. Although emerging and imported foreign infections have contributed to this economic burden, a significant portion of these costs is associated with sub-optimal policies to deal with persistent diseases, as well as a lack of appropriate infrastructure for targeted delivery of immediate health programs. We will develop adaptable multi-scale (individual to population level) quantitative frameworks for which to inform public health policy. These will consider important factors including the availability and adequacy of health resources, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of vaccine and drug therapies, changes in social behaviour, and individual and population health outcomes. Ultimately, our work will enhance public health policy in Canada, providing a quantitative framework for adapting to the ever-changing landscape of infectious disease.