The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set a target for every country to detect and understand emerging health threats within 24 hours of their emergence by 2030, urging governments to fulfil their commitments to prevent and prepare for future pandemics.
The target is contained in a new five-year strategy for the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, launched to strengthen countries’ ability to identify emerging health threats before they escalate into epidemics or pandemics.
The WHO also welcomed the adoption of a United Nations General Assembly political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, which calls for sustained investment and stronger national, regional and global capacities to prevent, detect and respond to pandemic threats.
In a statement, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to fulfil their commitments under the declaration, particularly by concluding negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system annex, a key component of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
“WHO welcomes this strong commitment by UN Member States to continue working together on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
“The world has come a long way since COVID-19. We urge countries to now fulfil the commitments they have made – especially to finalise negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing system (PABS) annex, so the WHO Pandemic Agreement can be opened for signature, begin the process of ratification and enter into force as international law,” Tedros said.
The WHO noted that member states considered the declaration during the second United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response on September 25, 2026, before referring it to the full General Assembly for adoption on October 12.
The declaration builds on research and coordination advances made since the COVID-19 pandemic, including the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
It recognises pandemic preparedness as a health, development, economic and security imperative that requires coordinated action across sectors.
The declaration also identifies priorities for strengthening global health security, including improving monitoring systems, investing in national capacities and implementing the amended International Health Regulations (2005).
Other priorities include empowering communities, ensuring timely access to pathogens and equitable benefit-sharing, expanding local and regional manufacturing and research and development capacities, and securing sustainable financing.
The WHO said member states had highlighted the urgent need to conclude negotiations on the PABS annex. The outcome of the negotiations will be considered at the next World Health Assembly in May 2027 or earlier at a special session.
The organisation said adoption of the annex would enable the Pandemic Agreement to enter into force and help deliver a more equitable, coordinated and effective global response to future pandemic threats.
Meanwhile, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence’s five-year strategy aims to equip every country with the systems, capacities and partnerships needed to rapidly identify and understand emerging health threats.
Speaking at the opening of the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany, Tedros said the Hub had become an integral part of the global health security system since its establishment in 2021.
“Five years after its establishment, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence has become an integral part of the global health security system,” he said.
“Its new strategy charts a clear path towards 2030, uniting governments and partners around a shared goal: a world in which every country can rapidly respond to health threats before they turn into major crises.”
The Hub was established with initial support from the German government in response to gaps exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since its creation, it has worked with 160 WHO member states, 190 partner organisations, and thousands of scientists and policymakers to detect emerging epidemic threats, sequence and identify pathogens, and support rapid action to protect communities.
Under the new strategy, the Hub will implement five priority initiatives.
The Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources initiative uses artificial intelligence to scan thousands of publicly available sources in real time each day to identify signals of potential health threats. It brings together more than 4,000 experts and is used by over 125 member states and 30 regional and international organisations.
The International Pathogen Surveillance Network strengthens capacities in genomic sequencing and bioinformatics to identify and understand emerging pathogens, helping accelerate the development of tests, treatments and vaccines.
The Hub’s Collaboratory connects more than 2,000 experts in modelling and data science who can be mobilised rapidly when new threats emerge.
Its Collaborative Surveillance Initiative, which is being implemented in more than 83 countries, supports national institutions, systems and workforces in detecting health threats through a One Health approach.
The fifth initiative, the Digital Enablers for Public Health Intelligence Initiative, is a new programme that will develop secure digital systems to enable countries and partners to share, analyse and use data while supporting the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence.
The WHO said achieving the strategy’s objectives would require sustained investment, trusted partnerships and strong cooperation across sectors, disciplines and borders.
