- Prime Minister announces plan for a new ‘Global Pandemic
Radar’ to identify and track new COVID variants and emerging
diseases
- WHO will lead work with the UK, Wellcome Trust other partners
and nations to develop an advanced international pathogen
surveillance network
- New network builds on UK health security expertise to help
stop the spread of COVID-19 and prevent future pandemics
The Prime Minister has today [Friday] launched plans for a new
‘Global Pandemic Radar’ to identify emerging COVID-19 variants
and track new diseases around the world, ahead of the Global
Health Summit hosted by Italy and the EU.
The pathogen surveillance network will save lives and protect
health systems by spotting diseases before they cause future
pandemics and enabling the rapid development of vaccines,
treatments and tests.
The Prime Minister spoke to World Health Organization (WHO)
Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus and Director of the
Wellcome Trust, Jeremy Farrar yesterday [Thursday] to agree the
next steps ahead of the G7.
WHO will lead an implementation group, supported by the Wellcome
Trust, to launch this new international partnership to identify,
track and share data on new coronavirus variants and monitor
vaccine resistance in populations.
The PM was updated on work already happening in this area,
including the newly-opened global WHO Hub for Pandemic
and Epidemic Intelligence based in Berlin. WHO
surveillance has also identified the B.1.617 variant, first found
in India, in more than 50 countries so far.
The ‘Global Pandemic Radar’ is expected to be fully up and
running with a network of surveillance hubs before the end of
2021, significantly improving global health security going into
next year.
Prime Minister said:
“Tackling COVID-19 globally and ensuring we are better prepared
for future health threats is an absolute priority for the UK’s G7
presidency.
“The world must never be caught unawares again
by a virus spreading among us unchecked. We need to build a
system of disease surveillance fit for the
21st century, with real-time data sharing
and rapid genomic sequencing and response.
“A Global Pandemic Radar will ensure that we are vigilant to new
variants and emerging pathogens, and can rapidly develop the
vaccines and treatments needed to stop them in their tracks.”
The Prime Minister first called for a global network of disease
surveillance centres as part of ‘5 point plan’ at
the UN Security Council last September.
The UK commissioned a report from the Wellcome Trust and has been
working with WHO, other governments’ centres of disease control,
NGOs and research organisations to take it forward as part of our
G7 Presidency.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of
WHO:
“The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the vital need for a robust,
modern system to keep the world ahead of emerging diseases
through active monitoring at the community level, swift and
accurate sequencing of new pathogens, and data-sharing across the
globe.
“The UK has set a strong example for pathogen surveillance and
sequencing, as well as vaccine development. I am delighted that
under PM Johnson, the UK will partner with WHO to contribute to
stronger global surveillance and a safer world.”
This announcement follows the publication today of new analysis
commissioned by the UK government from Jeremy Farrar, Chair of
the Wellcome Trust. The report sets out the mechanisms for a
global pathogen surveillance system that can identify new
variants of COVID-19 and detect other diseases before they become
pandemics.
The work builds on existing surveillance mechanisms and data
sharing agreements for HIV, TB and malaria.
Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust,
said:
“This pandemic has provided a stark wake-up call to the threat
posed by a fast-moving infectious disease. We are long overdue
the essential reinforcement of our local, national and
international disease surveillance networks.
“We failed to address these gaps following other epidemics and we
must act now before countries move on from this pandemic. This
commitment from the UK, as President of the G7, will be hugely
important in achieving these aims. There is no time to spare in
making this aspiration a reality.”
The Prime Minister will also address the Global Health Summit,
convened by G20 President Italy and the European Union, later
today [Friday]. The Summit aims to bring countries together to
endorse a ‘Rome Declaration’ of principles on dealing with global
health crises.
