Activity Webinar
Date 7 October, 2024
Time 11.30-13.00
Venue Online
Organisation RIVM Centre Public Health 

It is important to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic in order to be better prepared for a future outbreak. Within the BePrepared Consortium, social and behavioural researchers from universities and research institutes throughout the Netherlands collaborate to improve pandemic preparedness. The different research projects focus on resilient citizens and communities, communication and adherence, effective policy advice, and methodology. Our aim is to advance knowledge about the social and behavioural aspects of pandemics and translate those insights into practical tools for our toolkit for pandemic preparedness. 

Would you like to learn more about our work and discuss that with us? Join this first BePrepared webinar in which we share and discuss our 12-month results. For the topics, please see the programme below.

Programme

11.30      

Opening by Dr Doctor (Doctor). Saskia Euser (moderator) and Professor Marijn de Bruin (consortium chair) Dutch National Institute of Health and the Environment (RIVM); Prof. De Bruin also Radboud University Medical Center
11:45  

Making sense of an uncertain and fast changing environment during a pandemic: how to provide citizens with actionable information for preventive behaviour | Professor Danielle Timmermans | Amsterdam University Medical Center
   

As citizens’ preventive behaviour is paramount to control an outbreak, it is important to understand citizens’ (risk) perspectives and how they make sense of the situation within an information rich and complex environment. We present the main results and conclusions of our studies addressing this topic from different perspectives.
12:00    Simulating effects of interventions on virus spread in a realistically complex scenario | Professor Andrew Heathcote |
University of Amsterdam
   

It is important to develop robust methods for linking behavioural data and interventions to transmission. We present a model that simulates individual differences and interpersonal coordination (e.g., queueing and grouping) in complex, goal-driven pedestrian movement. We use the model to investigate the effects of interventions (e.g., social distancing, one-way lanes) on virus spread.
12:15   The five functions of social infrastructure during a pandemic  | Dr. Carla Kolner  & Professor Godfried Engbersen | 
HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht / Erasmus University Rotterdam
   

Strong social infrastructures within neighbourhoods and communities can effectively reach and protect vulnerable groups, and is vital for saving lives during pandemics. We identified five key functions of social infrastructures and discuss how these can be supported to build more resilient communities. 
12:30   Understanding and improving the impact of behavioural and social science advice during a pandemic | Dr. Inger Abma & Dr. Charlotte Waltz | Radboud University Medical Center /Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness Center & Erasmus University Rotterdam
   

Based on a document analysis of pandemic policy briefs from four European countries, interviews with policy makers, and outbreak simulation studies, we shed light on ways in which the uptake and impact of social and behavioural science policy advice can be improved, and how this advice can be integrated with insights from biomedical sciences. 
12:45   Q&A
13:00   End

      

Costs None
Participants

Researchers and professionals interested in social and behavioural aspects of pandemics.
The webinar will be in English.
Registration Please sign up for the webinar using this form.