The large variety in the management of the COVID-19 health crisis worldwide is striking. Countries have fared very differently in terms of infection rates, hospitalizations, mortality, burdens on the health system, and economic outcomes. Comparative analysis of different countries’ responses to the pandemic will shed light on the underlying mechanisms of these disparities which ultimately call into question the notion of global health. With this Call, we invite articles comparing country responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics of interest include:

• Official health authorities’ risk communication strategies (analysis of official authority and government websites, engagement with traditional media outlets, social media campaigns, information campaigns, etc.)
• Pandemic preparedness plans in place prior to the pandemic in comparison to actual public health strategies that were implemented
• Risk governance strategies regarding recommendations and mitigation measures
• Authorities’ handling of scandals or controversies around COVID-19 mitigation measures and uncertainty over time
• Public understanding of, and/or adherence to, health recommendations and measures
• Influential public figures who emerged during the pandemic and their roles in public health responses
• The role of experts and scientific expertise to inform authority recommendations
• Government allocation of resources (financial, material, personnel, research, etc.) in response to the pandemic

We welcome Original Articles and Reviews that present or synthesize comparative empirical results based on methodologies and analytical approaches that explicitly link the phenomenon studied to epidemiological outcomes (infection rates, cases, hospitalizations, mortality, morbidity, etc.) in the countries examined. The special issue will provide a collection of comparative multidisciplinary research and synthesis on the COVID-19 pandemic responses of countries throughout the world and contribute to understanding the numerous pandemic responses, the resources and constraints of those implementing related mitigation measures and strategies, and health and risk governance in times of health crisis.

The Call is open from 01 July 2021 until 31 March 2022. IJPH double-blind peer-review rules apply. Submissions must comply with IJPH rules for article type, length and format (please consult the information for authors and author guidelines). Please submit the full manuscript. Articles accepted after peer review will be published in the online special issue as they get ready for publication.

IJPH publishes all articles open access. Article processing charges (APC) apply. IJPH and its nonprofit owner, the Swiss School of Public Health, offer first authors from low- and middle-income countries a limited number of waivers or enhanced APC discounts through the IJPH GLOBEQUITY program Please find details here.

Contact: IJPH Editorial Office, ijph@swisstph.ch

The International Journal of Public Health is a journal of the Swiss School of Public Health

Guest Editors: Michael J. Deml, PhD, Postdoctoral Scientific Collaborator, University of Geneva (lead); Mathilde Bourrier, University of Geneva, PhD, Full Professor, University of Geneva; Katharina Tabea Jungo, PhD, Postdoctoral Scientific Collaborator, Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern

We look forward to your submission!

Keywords: COVID-19, comparative analyses, country analysis, pandemic responses, health authorities, risk governance