A novel methodological approach to systematically analyse pandemic influenza response programs within health systems

Background: Pandemic influenza preparedness plans exist in most countries yet the health systems operational capacity to actually implement these is a challenge. Diverse approaches to evaluate pandemic influenza programmes like guidelines, checklists or table top exercises exist yet they do not see the broader health system context in which programs have to function. Here we present an evaluation framework which helps to systematically determine how health systems and pandemic programmes interact, whether, where and which weak points exist; and how and where pandemic response programmes can be improved effective…