Overview
Hosted by The Pandemic Institute, Liverpool, the conference brought together leading universities and pandemic science research teams to help protect people and society from epidemic and pandemic infectious diseases through scientific discovery and innovation. As well as talks on recent responses to diseases such as flu and Mpox, the meeting featured a session on the importance of good science communication during a pandemic. Dame Jenny Harries from the UK Health Security Agency gave a keynote on preparing for and responding to pandemic threats, highlighting the importance of partnerships.
There was a special regional session which highlighted some of the world-leading work that happened in Liverpool during the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought together civic, medical and academic institutions to trial mass testing and the return to live events. The panel, chaired by Professor Tom Solomon featured members of The Pandemic Institute’s founding partner organisations, including Professor David Lalloo (Director of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine), Dr Cathy Montgomery (Head of the Institute for Health Research at Liverpool John Moores University) and Professor Matthew Ashton (Director of Public Health for Liverpool City Council)
Day one of the meeting ended with a welcome from Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, who helped celebrate the work being carried out in the region. He said:
“Few places can claim to have made a bigger impact on global health than the Liverpool City Region – and it is a legacy that we are proud to be continuing today.”
The next conference will be held in Glasgow in April 2025