UK Prime Minister Announces Plan For Global Pandemics Radar


Blessing Bature-Akpakpan, Abuja


The UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has announced plan for a new ‘Global Pandemic Radar’ to identify and track new COVID variants and emerging diseases, ahead of the Global Health Summit hosted by Italy and the EU.

He made this known in a statement by the Senior Communications & Public Diplomacy Officer, British High Commission, Abuja, Atinuke Akande-Alegbe that the ‘Global Pandemic Radar’ is expected to be fully up and running with a network of surveillance hubs before the end of 2021, significantly improving global health security going into next year.

He stated that the pathogen surveillance network will save lives and protect health systems by spotting diseases before they cause future pandemics and enabling the rapid development of vaccines, treatments and tests, adding that tackling COVID-19 globally and ensuring we are better prepared for future health threats is an absolute priority for the UK’s G7 presidency.

“The world must never be caught unawares again by a virus spreading among us unchecked. We need to build a system of disease surveillance fit for the 21st century, with real-time data sharing and rapid genomic sequencing and response.

“A Global Pandemic Radar will ensure that we are vigilant to new variants and emerging pathogens, and can rapidly develop the vaccines and treatments needed to stop them in their tracks.”

He therefore called for a global network of disease surveillance centres as part of ‘5 point plan’ at the UN Security Council and spoke to World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus and Director of the Wellcome Trust, Jeremy Farrar on Thursday to agree the next steps ahead of the G7.

He said WHO will lead an implementation group, supported by the Wellcome Trust, to launch this new international partnership to identify, track and share data on new coronavirus variants and monitor vaccine resistance in populations, saying WHO to lead work with the UK, Wellcome Trust other partners and nations to develop an advanced international pathogen surveillance network.

Also, Director General, WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said COVID-19 pandemic underscores the vital need for a robust, modern system to keep the world ahead of emerging diseases through active monitoring at the community level, swift and accurate sequencing of new pathogens, and data-sharing across the globe.

“The UK has set a strong example for pathogen surveillance and sequencing, as well as vaccine development. I am delighted that under PM Johnson, the UK will partner with WHO to contribute to stronger global surveillance and a safer world.”

This announcement follows the publication of new analysis commissioned by the UK government from Jeremy Farrar, Chair of the Wellcome Trust. The report sets out the mechanisms for a global pathogen surveillance system that can identify new variants of COVID-19 and detect other diseases before they become pandemics, saying the work builds on existing surveillance mechanisms and data sharing agreements for HIV, TB and malaria.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust, said: “This pandemic has provided a stark wake-up call to the threat posed by a fast-moving infectious disease. We are long overdue the essential reinforcement of our local, national and international disease surveillance networks.

“We failed to address these gaps following other epidemics and we must act now before countries move on from this pandemic. This commitment from the UK, as President of the G7, will be hugely important in achieving these aims. There is no time to spare in making this aspiration a reality.”