Since the coronavirus outbreak, health systems are under high pressure of a magnitude never seen before on such a global simultaneous scale. Evidence on how to handle this pandemic has been limited and new issues that require specific policies and control strategies are continuously and quickly emerging. Such issues range from delays or disruptions in medical care, insufficient resources for public health and medical personal, weak communication strategies, absence of coherent testing and tracking strategies, insufficient production and supply chains for treatments and vaccines, to a systematic lack of programs that address increasing mental health issues, to name just a few. Further, new experiences and knowledge collected throughout the different stages of the pandemic are influencing health systems` current as well as future planning of healthcare with possible consequences that go beyond COVID-19. In this dynamic and uncertain context, many decision makers in policy or practice are further challenged by the quickly growing body of research that is being produced on COVID-19, its repercussions and future implications. Guidance from science on how to navigate the evidence is urgently needed. In light of this, this call collects evidence syntheses and evidence-informed options and recommendations for action to support decision makers.

PHR invites Reviews and Policy Briefs on:
• How health systems can effectively respond to challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic
• How learnings of the pandemic may inform the planning and implementation of public health and healthcare policies beyond COVID-19.

We welcome Reviews and Policy Briefs that are providing evidence-informed guidance to tackle the public health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The call accepts a wide range of Review formats that use systematic literature search. Policy Briefs should highlight the context of the issue, the area of policy, and provide options and recommendations for action and possible implementation steps.

The GLOBEQUITY program of IJPH offers a limited number of waivers for first authors from low and middle income countries!

The Call is open for continuous submission from 20 March 2021 until 31 August 2023

Public Health Reviews is a journal of the Swiss School of Public Health

Issue Editors: Sarah Mantwill, Alexander Geissler, Kaspar Wyss


Please submit online.

No abstract submission is required, authors should only submit their full manuscript.

Call details
Contact: Anke Berger, Managing Editor PHR, anke.berger@swisstph.ch

We look forward to your submission!

Keywords: COVID-19, Policy, Public Health