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*New* Call for Papers: Aftermath of a Pandemic – Changes in Mortality and Health (09/11/26)

Posted: 5/7/2026 (Conference)

IUSSP and its co-organizes invite papers for a workshop focused on “Aftermath of a Pandemic: Changes in Mortality and Health.” Post-pandemic periods can reveal or amplify existing health inequalities, and the effects of pandemics often extend beyond the acute phase of infection, influencing long-term patterns of mortality and overall population health. This workshop will focus on these poorly understood effects.

The workshop will be hosted by the Oslo Metropolitan University on January 28-29, 2027. Submit a 300-word abstract and include a title, author(s), affiliation(s) via this form by September 11, 2026. Abstracts should be written in English. Attendance to the workshop is limited to 25 participants. Following the workshop, the organizers plan to pursue a special issue of a scientific journal.

This international workshop is organized by the University of Zurich, Oslo Metropolitan University, Roskilde University and the IUSSP Scientific Panel ‘Epidemics and Contagious Diseases: The Legacy of the Past’, with support from COST-Action GREATLEAP (CA22116).

Description:

Pandemics are transformative events that leave lasting marks on population health, mortality, and social structures. While immediate impacts such as short-term infection-related impact on health and mortality are well documented, far less is known about the aftermath of a pandemic in the mid- to long-term both in direct and indirect health and mortality impact.

Mortality and disease patterns may shift and survivors may face lasting physical and psychological consequences, including post-viral syndromes, mental health challenges, or worsening of chronic conditions. Health systems may adapt by placing greater emphasis on surveillance, preventive care, and preparedness for future crises. Demographic effects may also occur, e.g., on life expectancy, birth rates, and age-specific mortality rates. Pandemic mitigation strategies may also have disrupted normal disease patterns and affected population immunity to non-pandemic diseases, with out-of-season epidemics as a consequence. Furthermore, in-utero exposure to a pandemic can have long-term effects on the future health of those born during a pandemic. Post-pandemic periods can reveal or amplify existing health inequalities, and the effects of pandemics often extend beyond the acute phase of infection, influencing long-term patterns of mortality and overall population health.

This workshop will focus on these poorly understood effects. We invite submissions that engage with questions related to the aftermath of a pandemic, such as:

  • How do mortality patterns change, and which causes of death increase or decrease?
  • Are mortality changes influenced by socio-demographic or socio-economic factors?
  • What demographic effects arise following a pandemic?
  • How do pandemics interact with the epidemiology of other infectious diseases?
  • How are healthcare systems impacted or restructured?
  • Is there an increase in hospitalizations for specific diseases?
  • What are the short- and long-term health and mortality effects for individuals born during a pandemic?

If you are interested in participating in this workshop, please submit a 300-word abstract and include a title, author(s), affiliation(s) via the form https://forms.gle/3KxXwCKxMVQUjt8S6

Abstracts should be written in English. Attendance to the workshop is limited to 25 participants. Following the workshop, we plan to pursue a special issue of a scientific journal.

  • Deadline for submissions: 11 September 2026
  • Notification of acceptance: 1 October 2026

For information on Oslo, see https://www.visitoslo.com/en/

Questions? Contact: Katarina Matthes, katarina.matthes@iem.uzh.ch

Scholarship: Limited funding for travel and accommodation is available to members of the COST-Action GREATLEAP. To apply, please briefly explain your need for a scholarship in the form. Priority will be given to early career researchers presenting at the workshop.

Organisers:

  • Katarina Matthes, Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich
  • Svenn-Erik Mamelund, Centre for Research on Pandemics & Society (PANSOC), Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
  • Maarten van Wijhe, Department of People and Technology & PandemiX – Center for Interdisciplinary Study of Pandemic Signatures, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
  • Harris Bendel, Department of People and Technology, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark