Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners are launching a global network aimed at protecting people from infectious disease threats through the utilisation of pathogen genomics, enabling the members to share related data and resources to counter such ailments through an effective, collective response before they become pandemics.
The International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) will serve as a platform to connect countries and regions, enhancing systems for sample collection and analysis, utilising the data
to inform public health decision-making, and facilitating broader information sharing.
Pathogen genomics involves analysing the genetic code of viruses, bacteria, and other disease-causing organisms to comprehend their infectiousness, virulence, and modes of transmission. This information enables scientists and public health officials to identify and track diseases, prevent and respond to outbreaks within a comprehensive disease surveillance system, and develop effective treatments and vaccines.
The IPSN, which has a Secretariat hosted by the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, brings together global experts in genomics and data analytics from governments, philanthropic foundations, multilateral organisations, civil society, academia, and the private sector. Their shared objective is to detect and respond to disease threats before they escalate into epidemics while optimising routine disease surveillance.
"The goal of this new network is ambitious, but it can also play a vital role in health security by ensuring that every country has access to pathogen genomic sequencing and analytics as part of its public health system," says WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "As the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated, the world is stronger when it unites to combat shared health threats."
Covid-19 has underscored the critical importance of pathogen genomics in responding to pandemic threats. Without the rapid sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, vaccines would not have been as effective or available as quickly, and new, more transmissible variants would not have been promptly identified.
Genomics is at the core of effective epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response, as well as ongoing surveillance for a wide range of diseases, including food-borne illnesses, influenza, tuberculosis, and HIV. Its application in monitoring the spread of HIV drug resistance, for instance, has led to antiretroviral regimens that have saved countless lives.
"Global collaboration in pathogen genomic surveillance has been crucial in the fight against Covid-19," says Dr Rajiv J Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. "The IPSN builds upon this experience by creating a robust platform for partners across sectors and borders to share knowledge, tools, and practices, ensuring innovative and resilient pandemic prevention and response in the future."
Despite the recent increase in genomics capacity worldwide due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many countries still lack effective systems for sample collection and analysis, as well as utilising the data for informed public health decision-making. Insufficient data sharing, limited exchange of best practices, and a lack of innovation hinder the establishment of a robust global health surveillance framework. Moreover, budgets that soared during the pandemic to facilitate rapid capability development are now being reduced, even in the wealthiest nations.
"Argentina has made significant investments in building our own pathogen genomics capacity and that of other countries," states Josefina Campos, Director of the National Genomics and Bioinformatics Center at ANLIS Malbrán, Argentina. "Diseases do not respect borders; a threat in one country is a threat to all. We eagerly anticipate collaborating with IPSN members to achieve our shared goal of preventing illness and saving lives."
To address these challenges, the IPSN will establish a global network connecting various geographies and disease-specific networks, thereby creating a collaborative system to better detect, prevent, and respond to disease threats. IPSN members will collaborate in dedicated groups focusing on specific challenges and receive funding through the network to evolve ideas and projects related to pathogen genomics. By connecting countries, regions, and other stakeholders, the IPSN aims to enhance critical capacity, amplify regional and national voices, and strengthen their priorities.