WHO Pandemic Hub targets 24-hour outbreak detection by 2030

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a new five-year strategy for its Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, aiming to ensure every country can detect and understand emerging health threats within 24 hours of their appearance by 2030, according to a press release. The strategy was unveiled on October 12, 2026, during the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany. It seeks to strengthen rapid detection as a cornerstone of global health security. The plan aims to help countries contain outbreaks before they escalate into larger epidemics or spread internationally. It also focuses on equipping nations with the systems, capacities, and partnerships needed to respond effectively.

The WHO Hub was established in 2021 with foundational support from the German Government in response to critical gaps exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has worked with 160 WHO Member States and 190 partner organizations. Thousands of scientists and policymakers have contributed to its work. The Hub has focused on detecting new epidemic threats, sequencing and identifying pathogens, and supporting rapid action. Its goal has been to protect communities worldwide.

Under the new five-year strategy, the Hub will deliver its work through five priority initiatives. These include:

• Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS), which uses artificial intelligence to scan thousands of public sources daily and connects over 4,000 experts across 125 Member States and 30 regional and international organizations.
• The International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN), which strengthens genomic sequencing and bioinformatics capacities.
• The Collaboratory, linking more than 2,000 experts in modelling and data science.
• The Collaborative Surveillance Initiative, implemented in more than 83 countries through a One Health approach.
• The Digital Enablers for Public Health Intelligence Initiative, a new programme developing secure digital systems.

Speaking at the opening of the World Health Summit in Berlin, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reflected on the Hub’s achievements over its first five years. He appeared alongside Germany’s Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health, Georg Kippels.

“Five years after its establishment, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence has become an integral part of the global health security system,” he said. “Its new strategy charts a clear path towards 2030, uniting governments and partners around a shared goal: a world in which every country can rapidly respond to health threats before they turn into major crises.”

His remarks underscored the Hub’s role as a convener of partners and a catalyst for innovation.

The Hub is a critical pillar of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme and of the collective ability to respond to emergencies. It acts as a mobilizer of expertise and resources across borders. Achieving the strategy’s ambition will require sustained investment and trusted partnerships. Strong cooperation across sectors and disciplines will also be essential. The 2030 target reflects WHO’s drive to prevent outbreaks from escalating into pandemics.