Table 1

Covid-19 task forces set up to advise national governments

CountryName of task force convened or activated for Covid-19 responseComposition of task force by member expertiseGender distribution
Argentina28 Expert Committee (El comité de expertos)

  • 5 Government officials

  • 2 Ministry of Health officials

  • 6 Infectious disease specialists

  • 1 Epidemiologist

  • 1 Public health specialist

12 M; 3 F
Belgium29 30 Scientific Committee Coronavirus (Comité scientifique Coronavirus)

  • 3 Infectious disease specialists

  • 1 Epidemiologist

  • 1 Laboratory specialist

2 M; 3 F
Burkina Faso31 Name unknown

  • 1 Ministry of Health official

  • 4 Infectious disease specialists

  • 2 Epidemiologists

  • 3 Public health specialists

  • 2 Other medical specialists

  • 1 Communication specialist

  • 1 Private sector

  • 4 Unknown

14 M; 5 F
Chad32 Scientific Committee for Covid-19
(Comité Scientifique Covid-19)

  • 1 Ministry of Health official

  • 7 Infectious disease specialists

  • 1 Epidemiologist

  • 1 Laboratory specialist

  • 8 Public health specialists

  • 2 Intensive Care specialists

  • 12 Other medical specialists

  • 1 Pharmacist

  • 1 Nutrition specialist

  • 1 Lawyer

  • 1 Socioanthropologist

  • 1 Historian

33 M; 4 F
Chile33 Advisory Board of Ministry of Health for Covid-19
(Consejo Asesor del MINSAL por Covid-19)

  • 2 Ministry of Health officials

  • 1 Infectious disease specialist

  • 3 Public health specialists

  • 1 Other medical specialist

3 M; 4 F
China34 35 Central Leading Group on Responding to the Novel Coronavirus Disease Outbreak

  • 9 Government officials

8 M; 1 F
France36–39 Scientific council Covid-19
(Conseil scientifique Covid-19)

  • 4 Infectious disease specialists

  • 1 Epidemiologist

  • 1 Mathematical modelling specialist

  • 1 Intensive Care specialist

  • 1 Other medical specialist

  • 1 Anthropologist

  • 1 Sociologist

8 M; 2 F
Analysis, research and expertise committee
(Comité analyse, recherche et expertise (CARE))

  • 6 Infectious disease specialists

  • 1 Mathematical modelling specialist

  • 2 Laboratory specialists

  • 2 Other medical specialists

  • 1 Anthropologist

7 M; 5 F
Germany40–42 Interministerial crisis unit
(Krisenstab)

  • Government officials from six different ministries

Unknown
Guinea43 44 Scientific council on pandemic response to coronavirus disease (Covid-19)
(Conseil scientifique de riposte contre la pandémie de la maladie à coronavirus (Covid-19))

  • 2 Infectious disease specialists

  • 1 Epidemiologist

  • 1 Laboratory specialist

  • 3 Public health specialists

  • 3 Pharmacists

  • 3 Other medical specialists

  • 1 Psychologist

  • 1 Economist

  • 2 Socioanthropologist

14 M; 3 F
Haiti45 Scientific committee to combat coronavirus
(Cellule scientifique pour lutter contre le coronavirus)

  • 1 Ministry of Health official

  • 2 Infectious disease specialists

  • 1 Epidemiologist

  • 1 Laboratory specialist

  • 2 Public health specialists

  • 1 Intensive Care specialist

  • 3 Other medical specialists

  • 1 Mental health specialist

  • 1 Sociologist

  • 1 Civil society

12 M; 2 F
Hungary46 Coronaviral Defence Operational Staff
(Koronavírus-járvány Elleni Védekezésért Felelős Operatív Törzs)

  • 11 Government officials

  • 3 Ministry of Health officials

  • 1 Infectious disease specialist

14 M; 1 F
Italy47–49 Operational Committee on Coronavirus for Civil Protection
(Comitato operativo sul Coronavirus alla Protezione Civile)

  • 6 Government officials

  • 1 Ministry of Health official

7 M; 0 F
Scientific Technical Committee
(Comitato Tecnico Scientifico)

  • 4 Ministry of Health officials

  • 2 Infectious disease specialists

  • 1 Public health specialist

7 M; 0 F
Task force tech anti Covid-19

  • 2 Government officials

  • 2 Ministry of Health officials

  • 2 Infectious disease specialists

  • 5 Epidemiologists

  • 1 Mathematician

  • 4 Public health specialists

  • 1 Social scientist

  • 12 Data management specialists

  • 4 Statisticians

  • 1 Physicist

  • 1 Civil engineering expert

  • 1 Digital health expert

  • 1 Chemist

  • 1 Information systems expert

  • 13 Economists

  • 3 Computer science experts

  • 1 Communication technology expert

  • 3 Digital transformation experts

  • 2 Emergency management experts

  • 11 Lawyers

  • 1 Unknown

56 M; 18 F
Kenya50 51 National Emergency Response Committee

  • 17 Government officials

  • 4 Ministry of Health officials

15 M; 6 F
Mali52 53 Crisis Committee
(Le Comité de crise)

  • 2 Governmental officials

  • 2 Ministry of Health officials

  • 1 Infectious disease specialist

  • 2 Laboratory specialists

  • 4 Public health specialists

  • 1 Other medical specialist

12 M; 0 F
Scientific and Technical Committee of the National Public Health Institute
(Comité Scientifique et Technique de l’Institut National de Santé Publique -INSP)

  • 5 Infectious disease specialists

  • 1 Public health specialist

  • 1 Other medical specialist

  • 1 Agronomist

  • 1 Ecologist

  • 1 Nutritionist

9 M; 1 F
Philippines54 Inter-Agency task force

  • 2 Government officials

  • 2 Ministry of Health officials

4 M; 0 F
National task force Covid-1919 (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council - NDRRMC)

  • 4 Government officials

4 M; 0 F
Portugal55 56 Task force Covid-19

  • 13 Infectious disease specialists

  • 10 Epidemiologists

  • 12 Public health specialists

  • 1 Intensive Care specialist

  • 5 Other medical specialists

  • 1 Chemist

  • 2 Communication specialists

  • 25 Unknown

26 M; 42 F
National Public Health Council
(Conselho Nacional de Saúde Pública)

  • 2 Government officials

  • 2 Ministry of Health Officials

  • 5 Infectious disease specialists

  • 1 Epidemiologist

  • 2 Public health specialists

  • 1 Other medical specialist

  • 1 Pharmacist

  • 2 Lawyers

  • 1 Private sector

  • 2 CSO

14 M; 6 F
Singapore57 Multi-Ministry Taskforce on Wuhan Coronavirus

  • 10 Government officials

  • 1 Ministry of Health official

10 M; 1 F
South Korea58 59 Central Disease Control Headquarters (KCDC)

  • Led by Jung Eun-Kyeong (Director)

  • Other members unknown

1 F, unknown
Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters

  • Led by the Prime Minister (Chung Sye-kyun)

  • Other members unknown

1 M, unknown
Central Incidence Management System for Novel Coronavirus Infection

  • Led by Minister of Health and Welfare (Park Neung-hoo)

  • Other members unknown

1 M, unknown
Central Disaster Management Headquarters

  • Led by Ministry of Health and Welfare (Park Neung-hoo)

  • Other members unknown

1 M, unknown
Government-wide Support Centre

  • Led by Minister of Public Administration and Security

  • Other members unknown

1 M, unknown
Local Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (local municipal governments nationwide)

  • Led by the head of the local government

  • Other members unknown

Unknown
Local quarantine task force (local municipal governments nationwide)

  • Led by the head of the local government

  • Other members unknown

Unknown
Spain60 Scientific Technical Committee Covid-19
(Comité Cientifico Técnico Covid-19 19)

  • 3 Infectious disease specialists

  • 3 Epidemiologists

3 M; 3 F
Switzerland61 Science Task Force

  • 6 Infectious disease specialists

  • 2 Epidemiologists

  • 1 Mathematical modelling specialist

  • 1 Laboratory specialist

  • 2 Public health specialists

  • 1 Environmental engineering expert

  • 1 Computer science expert

  • 1 Economist

  • 1 Bioethics expert

12 M; 4 F
Thailand62 National committee for controlling the spread of Covid-19

  • 26 Government officials

  • 2 Ministry of Health officials

28 M; 0 F
Vietnam63 Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control
(Tiểu ban giám sát phòng, chống dịch bệnh Covid-19).

  • 5 Government officials

  • 9 Ministry of Health officials

13 M; 1 F
United Kingdom64–66 New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG)

  • 9 Infectious diseases specialists

  • 1 Epidemiologists

  • 2 Mathematical modelling specialists

  • 1 Public health specialist

  • 1 Intensive Care specialist

  • 1 Sociologist

  • 1 Psychologist

14 M; 2 F
Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP)

  • 1 Government official

  • 12 Infectious disease specialists

  • 1 Mathematical modelling specialist

  • 1 Public health specialist

  • 1 Other medical specialist

13 M; 3 F
Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)

  • 19 Infectious disease specialists

  • 1 Other medical specialist

  • 1 Lay member (unknown)

12 M; 9 F
USA67 68 White House Coronavirus Task Force

  • 19 Government officials

  • 1 Ministry of Health official

  • 3 Infectious disease specialists

21 M; 2 F