The Health Crises Network
Many researchers and other members of staff at Swedish universities possess expertise and experience, as well as tools and methods, in a wide range of areas that are important for preparedness, management and evaluation of health crises. The Centre for Health Crises established, and today coordinates, the Health Crises Network to help make this expertise available. Our aim is to support the surrounding society and contribute to science-based health crisis preparedness and management.
About the network
Collaboration between universities, at both organisational and individual levels, enables us to pool our knowledge and expertise and jointly identify effective ways of providing support to the wider society before, during and after a health crisis. The aim of the network is to work together to make better use of our resources and expertise for the benefit of society, to create more effective partnerships, and to ensure universities and the expertise they possess play a clearer role in health crisis preparedness and management.
The Health Crises Network consists of individuals from Swedish universities, with the Centre for Health Crises acting as the unifying and coordinating hub. Membership is on an individual basis and is contingent upon the individual possessing relevant expertise and engaging in outreach activities related to health crises within one of the following areas:
- Preparedness, planning, management
- CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents)
- Epidemies/pandemics
- Disaster medicine
- Conflicts
- Crisis communication
- Natural disasters and extreme weather
- Tech and data
The network currently comprises around 50 members from 16 Swedish universities. Our digital presentation of the Health Crises Network’s members lists who is part of the network and at which universities they work, along with a brief description of their skills and areas of expertise.
The network meets annually, shares information and news, and has jointly advocated for the role of universities in health crises. Furthermore, it serves as a knowledge and expertise resource for us at the Centre; we can consult them, seek their input, invite them to take part in activities and similar initiatives as part of our work.
A clear example of this was how the network contributed to the Centre’s knowledge-gathering efforts in connection with the outbreak of the Andes virus on board the cruise ship MV Hondius in the spring of 2026. Although the risks associated with that particular outbreak were assessed as relatively low for Sweden, we activated the network as an exercise in preparation for future crises. The exercise went well, and we were able to quickly identify and gather both knowledge and opportunities for collaboration.
The network's objectives
- To co-operate on issues related to health crisis preparedness, management and evaluation
- To jointly share the expertise and skills available in health crisis-related issues at Swedish universities
- To work to define the role of universities in health crises and as part of the total defence, and to promote public opinion to make use of the expertise available at universities
- To continuously exchange and co-operation on common issues
- To build capacity for the future and ensure that the next generation has the skills to continue the work
- In addition, the network will be rapidly activated in the event of a health crisis, to share expertise and resources
Background to the creation of the network
The Health Crises Network was established when the Centre for Health Crises was allocated funding in KI’s letter of appropriation for the 2023 financial year to develop collaboration between universities in the field of health crises. Since then we have received renewed support for this in subsequent letters of appropriation.
As a first step in the work that led to the formation of the network, in 2023, we carried out a mapping of expertise and education at Swedish universities in several subject areas relevant to health crises. The conclusion of the mapping was that highly topical research and education are being carried out in this field, that the level of ambition is high, and that there is a willingness to contribute evidence, expertise and teaching. Most of the individuals identified and interviewed as part of the mapping were invited to become the first members of the network. The network was then formally established at a meeting at Karolinska Institutet in December 2023.