Table 2.

Policy options and considerations for public health emergency preparedness (8, 12, 20, 35, 37–39, 41, 43, 48).

Policy options	Monitoring of preparedness indicators	Strengthening health system capacity	Adpoting equity-focused preparedness	Enhancing governance and legislation	Implement digital health & AI principles
Description	Create measures to track health system readiness, emergency impact on equity, community preparedness, and health system vulnerabilities.	Invest in public health budgets, vaccine delivery infrastructure, flexibility in the workforce, and safe pathogen research management.	Prioritizes social determinants such as access to technology, housing, clean water, and specially tailored plans for the disadvantaged.	Establish emergency roles, responsibilities, and enables timely decision-making; incorporate environmental health considerations.	Develop user-interaction-based AI and digital interventions based on scalability, sustainability, data-driven action, open collaboration, and privacy/security protection.
Advantages	Provides a general overview of system vulnerabilities and strengths	Enhances response speed and coverage.	Suppresses health inequities and improves outcomes in at-risk populations.	Strengthens system accountability and coordination.	Fosters effective, ethical, scalable digital health interventions.
Disadvantages	Requires robust data collection and continuous updating	Can suffer from funding and workforce training challenges.	Requires cross-sectoral effort and targeted outreach.	Legal change may be politically difficult and time-consuming.	Requires technical capability and ongoing funding.
Cost & feasibility	Moderate cost; requires investment in information systems and analysis; feasible with existing health info systems.	Costly; feasible long-term with political will and investment in resources.	Moderate to high cost depending on upgrade of social infrastructure; achievable with multi-sector collaboration.	Variable cost; requires legislative processes; medium feasibility depending on political will.	Moderate development and maintenance investment; viability dependent on infrastructure and collaboration.
Equity Considerations	Requires indicators relevant to vulnerable and marginalized groups.	Needs to prioritize underserved areas and offer access equity.	Points efforts toward equity gaps; must be careful to avoid unintended exclusion.	Must ensure that laws promote fair access to emergency services and protections.	Requires inclusive design not to reinforce digital divides; requires protection of sensitive information for at-risk populations.
Stakeholders	Public health practitioners, policymakers, data analysts, community leaders.	Health ministries, hospitals, training institutions, regulatory agencies.	Public health agencies, social services, community organizations, policymakers	Legislators, public health officials, legal practitioners, environmental agencies	Developers of technology, public health communities, funders, community leaders, data privacy administrators.