WHO launches early detection network

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a global system for the early detection and containment of infectious diseases. The “International Pathogen Surveillance Network” (International Network for the Surveillance of Pathogens, IPSN for short) offers a platform on which countries and regions can connect in the collection and analysis of samples of pathogens, as the WHO announced in Geneva.

The IPSN is designed to help ensure that threats from infectious diseases can be quickly identified. The platform is also intended to facilitate the exchange of information about such diseases and the coordination of measures to prevent their spread. It is also said to help in the development of treatments and vaccines.

“Ambitious Goals”

The monitoring system will be based on the genome analysis – i.e. the decoding of the genetic material – of viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. These analyzes are intended to find out how contagious and deadly the newly discovered pathogens are and how they spread. The data collected will be fed into a broader database to track the spread of diseases.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the “ambitious goals” of the new network and emphasized that it could play an “essential role in health protection”. The corona pandemic has shown “that the world is stronger when it stands together to combat health threats”.

unequal supply

This Sunday, representatives of the 194 member countries of the World Health Organization will meet for their annual meeting. The focus is on a debate about how at least basic medical care can be guaranteed for everyone in the world.

The WHO budget for 2024/25 is also to be approved. A significant increase in compulsory contributions is planned. So far, the UN special agency has been dependent on voluntary contributions for many tasks.

wa/ack (afp, dpa)