Linking the Past to the Future: The 1918 Influenza as Preparedness Basis for Socioeconomic Equality in Upcoming Pandemics - PANEQUALITY(Rev)

Pandemics are most pressing global threats to human life. PANEQUALITY studies historical, social, & biological mechanisms for unequal morbidity, mortality, and fertility responses to 1918 pandemic influenza. The objective is to understand the mechanisms that influenced the unequal disease burden on the population; findings will prop research-based targeting of the most vulnerable groups in vaccination & preparedness plans, preventing unjust response to upcoming pandemics, to save lives & social losses. PANEQUALITY undertakes finding socioeconomic inequalities in morbidity & mortality, ethnic mortality, fertility fluctuations & long-term effects of in utero exposure to influenza. This is a novel approach to pandemics & attributes a role to socioeconomic factors in the unequal disease burden in 1918 pandemic; my new methodological frame will serve future research on (re)emerging pandemics of influenza or other infectious diseases. 1) A transdisciplinary approach will be taken to study at risk groups: the socially disadvantaged, ethnic minorities, migrants, pregnant women & their unborn children -to be followed in later life to study negative health/social effects of exposure in utero & if adversities depend on exposure time, socioeconomic and ethnic status. This advances the SoA, filling the knowledge gaps in the field. 2) A Syndemic evaluation of complex mechanisms that produced unequal responses using a transdisciplinary analysis of unique transnational data from 4 countries never used before & historical data linked to longitudinal register and census data. 3) Mixed statistical methods, rigorous coding and ethnography will be used. I will recruit 3 ESRs with background on social/medical history, health economics/ anthropology, and public health for scientific relevance beyond my core competence. Findings will be pivotal for pandemic preparedness planning; discussing the priority list for vaccination; optimizing the interventions; and saving human & social losses.