In 2025, Penta concluded the VERDI project, a major European collaboration launched to understand the impact of SARS‑CoV‑2 variants and mpox on children and pregnant people. Beyond its scientific outputs, VERDI leaves a lasting legacy through its Preparedness Plan, designed to strengthen how research systems respond to future outbreaks.
Drawing on lessons learned during the COVID‑19 pandemic and the mpox outbreak, the Preparedness Plan sets out practical recommendations for research readiness, focusing on what should be in place before the next health emergency. These recommendations are complemented by a set of adaptable resources including ready‑to‑use study protocols, metadata generated by VERDI studies, case‑report forms for data collection on pregnant people and children that can be adapted to multiple pathogens. The plan also provides guidance on how to optimise clinical research infrastructure across countries and settings.
A central message of VERDI is that children and pregnant people must be included from the outset of outbreak research, rather than considered only once evidence gaps have already emerged. The Plan therefore addresses research policy, providing a framework to enable the rapid, responsible and coordinated generation of evidence when time is critical and highlighting the need for dedicated funding to support research that meets the specific needs of these populations.
For Penta, preparedness is a strategic investment to ensure that future health emergencies deliver evidence that reflects the needs of everyone including children and pregnant people, so that no-one is left behind.