NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant will join a team of delegates visiting Israel for a high-level information exchange on managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fifteen Australian public health experts and clinicians will meet next month with counterparts from Israel’s health and foreign affairs ministries along with leading academics to discuss ongoing handling of the viral disease.
A key objective is to develop more substantial partnerships that can inform continuing COVID-19 management and help prepare Australia, Israel and other nations for future public health threats.
Both countries were hailed for their swift and effective responses to the pandemic in early 2020.
Australia’s strict social distancing guidelines, travel bans and use of mathematical modelling to guide public policy resulted in one of the world’s lowest death rates with the virus.
Meanwhile, Israel became a world leader in real-time research, analysis and data integration at the height of the pandemic.
The nation also led a successful vaccination drive and had the fastest vaccine rollout, becoming the first country to introduce third and fourth doses.
Peter Doherty Institute director Sharon Lewin said there would likely be lessons for Australia in how Israel used systems and data to help manage COVID-19.
“Israel was able to provide real-time research and analysis of what was unfolding in their country and we’re very interested in how they managed that so well,” Professor Lewin said.
Read the article by Mibenge Nsenduluka in The Canberra Times.