Geneva- August 2024- The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization (WHO) called on researchers and governments to strengthen and accelerate global research to prepare for the next pandemic.

They emphasized the importance of expanding research to encompass entire families of pathogens that can infect humans–regardless of their perceived pandemic risk–as well as focusing on individual pathogens. The approach proposes using prototype pathogens as guides or pathfinders to develop the knowledge base for entire pathogen families.

At the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2024 held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, WHO R&D Blueprint for Epidemics issued a report urging a broader-based approach by researchers and countries. This approach seeks to develop broadly applicable knowledge, tools, and countermeasures that can quickly adapt to emerging threats. This strategy also aims to speed up surveillance and research to understand how pathogens transmit and infect humans and how the immune system responds to them.

“WHO’s scientific framework for epidemic and pandemic research preparedness is a vital shift in how the world approaches countermeasure development, and one that is strongly supported by CEPI. As presented at the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this framework will help steer and coordinate research into entire pathogen families, a strategy that aims to bolster the world’s ability to swiftly respond to unforeseen variants, emerging pathogens, zoonotic spillover, and unknown threats referred to as pathogen X”, said Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI.

Also Read: The Long Shadow of COVID: Are We Prepared for the Next Pandemic?

The prioritization work underpinning the report involved over 200 scientists from more than 50 countries, who evaluated the science and evidence on 28 virus families and one core group of bacteria, encompassing 1652 pathogens. Scientists determined the epidemic and pandemic risk by considering available information on transmission patterns, virulence, and the availability of diagnostic tests, vaccines, and treatments..

“History teaches us that the next pandemic is a matter of when, not if. It also teaches us the importance of science and political resolve in blunting its impact,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We need that same combination of science and political resolve to come together as we prepare for the next pandemic. Advancing our knowledge of the many pathogens that surround us is a global project requiring the participation of scientists from every country.”