In 2023, the Institute for Pandemics (IfP) partnered with the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and the open access, peer-reviewed online journal Health Reform Observer to create a special issue on COVID-19 pandemic policies and systems reforms.
The launch of the issue also included a joint webinar held on December 8, 2023. It documents experiences, successes, and failures of health systems reforms and policy responses during the pandemic, leveraging the variations that were seen across the country in the nature and timing of responses. By studying how COVID-19 placed additional strains on the Canadian health care system, widening pre-existing gaps in health workforce, access, equity and quality of care, this research can help governments and policymakers improve the overall effectiveness and resilience of the health system, including for future pandemics.
Authors of select papers in the issue presented at the conference, which was moderated by Sara Allin, a professor in U of T's Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Allin is also Director of the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and lead of the Pandemic Resilience theme of U of T’s Institute for Pandemics. Presenters included researchers from McMaster University, Dalhousie University, Public Health Ontario and Université Laval.
On December 8, the Institute for Pandemics and the North American Observatory held a webinar to launch a special issue of the journal Health Reform Observer on COVID-19 pandemic policies and health system reforms.