We are the Australia-Aotearoa Consortium for Epidemic Forecasting & Analytics. Our goal is to support the timely, effective response to epidemic diseases in Australia and New Zealand through real-time data analytics, modelling, and forecasting.
Our key activities:
- Decision support: Generate and share real-time analyses with Australian decision-makers and the public.
- Methods and tools: Advance methods and software tools for epidemic analysis.
- Data: Inform the design of surveillance studies to optimise data collection for public health action.
- Engagement: Develop and maintain a community of practice among key stakeholders including public health decision-makers and practitioners, academic researchers, and surveillance system leads.
ACEFA involves multiple academic research groups from across Australia and New Zealand, including: the Infectious Disease Dynamics Unit at the University of Melbourne, the Infectious Disease Ecology and Modelling group at The Kids Research Institute, Defence Science and Technology Group, the Department of Econometrics & Business Statistics at Monash University, the Infectious Disease Dynamics and Interventions Group at the University of New South Wales, the Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Modelling at the Australian National University, the Infectious diseases modelling and Epidemiology Group at James Cook University, the Adelaide Data Science Centre at the University of Adelaide, and the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Canterbury.
The consortium's work builds on a national seasonal influenza forecasting program (2014–19) and COVID-19 situational assessment consortium (2020–23).