The International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN), hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO), has announced the first 10 recipients of its catalytic grant fund, awarding nearly $2 million to strengthen pathogen genomic surveillance in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
The grants aim to enhance the use of genomic analysis, a technology that decodes the genetic makeup of viruses and bacteria, enabling scientists to track disease spread, develop vaccines, and inform public health responses. Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Wellcome, the fund is hosted by the United Nations Foundation.
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Key projects include wastewater surveillance by the American University of Beirut to monitor diseases in refugee populations and tracking avian flu in live-bird markets by the Pasteur Institute of Laos. Brazil’s Federal University of Rio de Janeiro will develop an open-source bioinformatics tool for offline genomic analysis, designed for global use in low-resource settings.
“Pandemics and epidemics, amplified by climate change, remain global threats. Equitable access to genomic tools is vital to protect lives in vulnerable communities,” said Manisha Bhinge, Vice President of The Rockefeller Foundation.
The announcement was made at the IPSN Global Partners Forum in Bangkok, with a second round of funding planned for 2025.
