From the call:
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that:
Epidemiological models are invaluable tools in combating pandemics
Current models are far less useful than possible for aiding in the development of measures for mitigating ongoing pandemics
A large community of researchers is eager to contribute to the development and improvement of such modeling efforts.
Current models have proved insufficient, in part, because human behavioral and social processes are missing. These processes, for example, include structural characteristics such as differential living conditions and patterns of social interaction, and behavioral and cognitive characteristics such as responsiveness to information by different segments of the population. As a result, the mathematical models and tools for analysis and simulation that were developed to respond to the pandemic were not as effective or useful as they could have been.The IHBEM program is motivated by the urgent need to provide more useful modeling tools to inform decision making and to evaluate public health policies during pandemics and other public health crises, with the premise that improvement may be made by incorporating human behavioral and social processes. The goal of this program is to ensure that public health interventions have their intended effects.