 People walk on a streets of Tokyo, Japan, July 25, 2022. (Illustrative photo: Reuters) |
IPSN will provide a platform to connect countries and regions, improving systems for collecting and analyzing samples, using these data to drive public health decision-making, and sharing that information more broadly.
Pathogen genomics analyzes the genetic code of viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing organisms to understand how infectious they are, how deadly they are, and how they spread.
With this information, scientists and public health officials can identify and track diseases to prevent and respond to outbreaks as part of a broader disease surveillance system, and to develop treatments and vaccines.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that goal of IPSN is ambitious, but it can also play a vital role in health security.
IPSN is the latest in several initiatives launched since the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen the world's ability to more effectively prevent and respond to pandemic threats.