Project description
Disability risk during flu pandemics
Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic known as the Spanish flu. This public health crisis affected one third of the global population and killed millions. People with disabilities may be more vulnerable to flu, yet little research has focused on disability as a risk factor. According to the World Health Organization, over a billion people worldwide live with a disability of some kind. The EU-funded DIS2 project is using high-tech computational models to explore disability and infection during the 1918 pandemic. Accurate modelling of observed relationships will enable testing of potential interventions to improve patient outcomes in the next pandemic.
Objective
A global influenza pandemic is imminent and public health preparedness plans that address the needs of vulnerable populations are indispensable. While researchers have documented socioeconomic and geographic variables that contribute to disparities in infection and mortality, there has been little to no investigation of disability as a risk factor during influenza pandemics, despite the warnings of epidemiologists that persons with disabilities would be at increased risk. Drawing on rich historical data from the 1918 influenza pandemic, this project addresses this gap through a novel interdisciplinary and mixed methods approach. Quantitative and qualitative analyses will explore differential outcomes based on forms of disability and institutionalisation. Results of demographic analyses and insights from archival, historical, and ethnographic literature will inform the construction of an agent-based computer simulation model that will help explain observed patterns and evaluate the effectiveness of potential interventions. A short visit will enable regional comparisons between Norway and Sweden and enhance theoretical and methodological links between epidemiological and disability research. The fellow will benefit from the expertise of a European centre of excellent research, the Centre for Welfare and Labour Research, at Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway. Building on the fellow's previous work and skills in both epidemic modelling and disability research, the project activities will lead to further development of the fellow's professional maturity, while the results will have a key impact on the advancement of multiple academic disciplines, and as called for in EU and UN policies, on the improvement of the citizen rights and health of persons with disabilities.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences health sciences public health epidemiology pandemics
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases RNA viruses influenza
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
0167 Oslo
Norway
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.