A main focus of our team this year has been preparedness. In other words, how can we better prepare for the next public health crisis? (1) Together with the research area, we established a preparedness hub within our institution, bringing together our existing expertise, capacities and networks of collaborators, and are currently developing a comprehensive approach for enhancing preparedness, response, recovery and resilience (PR3) at the local, national and European levels. We also continued providing evidence-based information and recommendations on key issues throughout this second year of the pandemic by publishing 14 policy briefs in the COVID-19 and response strategy series.

In 2021, we consolidated the El Día Después initiative, a multi-stakeholder platform for the implementation the 2030 agenda, and we worked on a global health strategy for Spanish cooperation, including current challenges that should be taken into account. In line with the strategic objectives of the institution, we strengthened ISGlobal’s presence in Latin America through several actions, including an institutional agreement with Fiocruz; expansion of the Bolivian Chagas Platform model to Paraguay; technical assistance to Caribbean governments, in collaboration with UNDP, for COVID-19 response; participation in a project proposal for urban health in Bogotá; and funding of triangular EU-LAC cooperation projects (one on Chagas disease in Paraguay and Bolivia and another on digital health in Brazil and Panama).

1. Diago-Navarro E, Ramirez O, Rodó M, Fanjul G, Cardis E. How Can We Be Better Prepared for the Next Public Health Crisis? Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic. An ISGlobal Policy Paper. Nov 2021.