Processes and mechanisms for enabling evidence-informed decision-making in pandemic planning and response

Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic consistently point to the critical role of science and evidence in supporting pandemic responses. Recommendations emerging from the Chief Science Advisor’s Expert Panel on COVID-19 included the need to improve science advisory mechanisms in Canada as well as to strengthen the research and developing prioritization and coordination for preparedness and during crisis responses. In efforts to inform updates to pandemic preparedness plans, we undertook a rapid evidence profile that examines both evidence documents and pandemic preparedness plans from a wide range of countries to determine what is known about the integration of processes and mechanisms for enabling evidence-informed decision-making within these strategic documents.