BERLIN: When a new infectious disease begins to spread, the time it takes to recognise the threat can make a crucial difference. Earlier detection gives health authorities a better chance to investigate the cause, assess the risks and take action before an outbreak grows into a wider public health emergency.
With that challenge in mind, the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a five-year strategy aimed at helping every country detect and understand emerging health threats within 24 hours of their appearance by 2030.
The strategy, unveiled by the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, seeks to strengthen the systems countries rely on to identify potential outbreaks, make sense of early warning signs and respond before infectious diseases spread widely or cross borders.
The ambition is not simply to collect more health data. It is to help countries recognise a developing threat sooner and turn that information into action when time matters most.
Speaking at the opening of the World Health Summit in Berlin, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the Hub’s progress since its establishment in 2021. Georg Kippels, Parliamentary State Secretary at Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health, was also present.
“Five years after its establishment, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence has become an integral part of the global health security system,” Dr Tedros said.
He said the new strategy set out a path towards the 2030 goal, bringing governments and partners together to help countries respond to health threats before they develop into major crises.
Lessons from COVID-19 drive push for earlier warnings
The WHO Hub was established with initial support from the German Government following the gaps in global preparedness exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has worked with 160 WHO Member States, 190 partner organisations and thousands of scientists and policymakers.
Its work focuses on identifying emerging epidemic threats, improving the ability to detect and understand pathogens, and helping public health authorities act on information in time to protect communities.
The need for such systems extends beyond identifying a disease after cases begin appearing in hospitals. Potential warning signs can emerge from publicly available reports, laboratory findings, changes in disease patterns and information about human, animal and environmental health.
Recognising these signals, assessing whether they represent a genuine threat and sharing the findings with the right authorities can help countries prepare earlier. The new strategy brings together five initiatives intended to strengthen different parts of that process.
Five initiatives to improve global outbreak preparedness
1. Artificial intelligence to spot early warning signs
The Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) initiative uses artificial intelligence to scan thousands of publicly available sources in real time each day for potential signs of health threats.
The system connects a global community of more than 4,000 experts and is used by over 125 WHO Member States and 30 regional and international organisations.
By helping experts identify and assess reports that may signal an emerging outbreak, EIOS can support earlier investigation and risk assessment. Its purpose is to help authorities recognise possible threats among large volumes of information, rather than rely solely on cases already identified through formal health reporting.
2. Better pathogen surveillance to understand new threats
The International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) strengthens genomic sequencing and bioinformatics capabilities to help identify and understand emerging pathogens.
Knowing which pathogen is involved, and how it may be changing, can help scientists and health authorities assess risks and guide the development of diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines.
The initiative addresses an important part of outbreak preparedness: countries need the scientific and technical capacity to investigate a suspected threat, not just receive an early warning that something may be wrong.
3. Data scientists and modelling experts ready to help
The Collaboratory connects more than 2,000 experts in modelling and data science who can be mobilised rapidly when new health threats emerge.
Their expertise can help interpret complex information, examine possible disease trajectories and assess how an outbreak might develop. Such analysis can support decisions about public health measures and the resources needed to respond.
When information is incomplete and events are changing quickly, the ability to bring relevant expertise together can help decision-makers assess the situation more effectively.
4. Surveillance that connects human, animal and environmental health
The Collaborative Surveillance Initiative, being implemented in more than 83 countries, supports national institutions, surveillance systems and health workforces in detecting health threats.
It follows the One Health approach, which recognises that human health is closely connected to animal health and the environment.
This connection matters because some infectious diseases originate in animals before spreading to people. Monitoring risks across these areas, and improving coordination between the institutions responsible for them, can help countries recognise potential threats earlier.
5. Secure digital systems to turn information into action
The fifth initiative, Digital Enablers for Public Health Intelligence, is a new programme designed to help countries and partners share, analyse and use health data more effectively through secure digital systems.
It will also support the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence in public health intelligence.
The aim is to strengthen the digital foundations needed for timely information-sharing and analysis, so that relevant findings can reach those responsible for assessing risks and organising a response.
Can every country meet the 24-hour goal by 2030?
The WHO’s target is ambitious. Detecting and understanding an emerging health threat within 24 hours will depend on more than advanced technology or access to information.
Countries also need reliable surveillance systems, trained health workers, laboratory and data-analysis capacity, effective coordination between institutions and the ability to act on what the evidence reveals. These capabilities vary, making sustained investment and international cooperation central to the strategy.
The WHO said the Hub remained a key pillar of its Health Emergencies Programme, bringing partners together, driving innovation and mobilising expertise and resources to strengthen preparedness for future health emergencies.
Achieving the 2030 ambition will require continued investment, trusted partnerships and stronger cooperation across sectors, scientific disciplines and national borders, the organisation said.
For the public, the importance of earlier detection lies in what it may make possible: more time to investigate a disease, assess the danger, prepare health services and introduce appropriate measures before an outbreak places a greater burden on communities.
The strategy does not mean every emerging outbreak can be prevented, nor does the 24-hour target represent a capability already achieved by every country. Rather, it sets a goal for improving the speed and quality of global health intelligence so that countries are better equipped to recognise and respond to new threats.
Ultimately, the WHO’s challenge is to help countries move from discovering health threats late to recognising them early enough to make a difference.
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