Grant: Operating Grant

Despite its relatively mild nature, the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic had a disproportionate impact on Canadian vulnerable and underserved populations, including indigenous Aboriginal people (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) and remote and isolated communities. Protecting these populations from emerging infectious diseases remains a critical public health concern, which highlights the pressing need for research to quantify the interplay between demographic, infection, health, and control factors. This proposal launches a new era of research to create fundamental knowledge that can be applied to reduce the vulnerability of the population and alleviate disease outcomes by: (i) identifying the type and intensity of intervention measures to mitigate the risk of infection; and (ii) determining plausible scenarios for allocation and optimal distribution of health resources prior to and during the spread of an infection. Our team will develop frameworks that integrate modelling and surveillance to bridge the existing gaps in the acute management of public health crises, and inform decision making for future planning. Our collaborative efforts for this proposal are principally guided by the firm commitment to the notion that research must ultimately influence policy to protect Canadian's health in the face of future (inevitable) infectious disease challenges.