BERLIN, GERMANY / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization has announced a target for nations to identify and understand new health threats within 24 hours by 2030. This objective is a core element of a new five-year plan for the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, which was unveiled during the World Health Summit 2026 in Berlin. The strategy emphasizes earlier outbreak detection, enhanced surveillance, and quicker analysis of health data. Its implementation spans from 2026 to 2030.
Established in Berlin in 2021, the WHO Pandemic Hub was created in response to significant gaps in global disease monitoring revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The German government provided essential initial support for this effort. Since its inception, the Hub has collaborated with over 160 WHO Member States and approximately 190 partner organizations and networks. Its work involves bringing together public health agencies, researchers, and technical experts to share data, track pathogens, and enhance systems for epidemic detection. The Hub operates under WHO’s broader Health Emergencies Programme.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has stated that the Hub has become an integral part of the international health security framework since its launch. The 2030 strategy outlines goals for surveillance, outbreak detection, analysis, and digital infrastructure development. It also seeks to foster better cooperation among countries and scientific institutions. The plan includes expanding tools that enable health authorities to evaluate emerging risks more swiftly. WHO emphasizes that the strategy builds upon lessons learned from the Hub’s first five years and offers a shared benchmark for outbreak intelligence worldwide.
International networks bolster rapid response capabilities
Supporting the new strategy are five major initiatives. Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources scans publicly available information for signals that could indicate emerging health dangers. This system employs artificial intelligence to analyze large data volumes from open sources. WHO reports that over 125 Member States and 30 regional and international organizations utilize the platform. Its EIOS community comprises more than 4,000 experts. This system aids health authorities in discovering, reviewing, and assessing information that may require urgent public health attention.
The International Pathogen Surveillance Network centers on genomic sequencing and bioinformatics, now encompassing nearly 360 partners across more than 110 countries. The Collaboratory connects over 2,000 specialists in modeling and data science. Another initiative, the Collaborative Surveillance Initiative, supports efforts in more than 83 countries through a One Health approach. WHO also plans to expand digital tools through a new project dedicated to secure data sharing and responsible artificial intelligence. These programs constitute the operational backbone of the 2026 to 2030 strategy.
Partnerships in Berlin extend through 2031
The Hub has renewed cooperation agreements with the Robert Koch Institute and Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin through 2031. These partnerships encompass public health surveillance, pathogen genomics, artificial intelligence, and data science. Both organizations have collaborated with WHO since the early years of the Berlin-based Hub. Their joint efforts combine international health coordination with national research and public health expertise. Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health has supported these ongoing partnerships. The renewed agreements sustain a Berlin-centered network dedicated to research, analysis, and preparedness activities.
WHO states that its 24-hour detection goal will steer the Hub’s activities through the end of this decade. The organization aims for countries to identify threats swiftly and develop a clearer understanding of how new outbreaks unfold. The strategy also advocates for more robust digital systems and wider access to pathogen intelligence. WHO intends to maintain connections between national authorities, scientists, and international partners through existing networks. The 2030 plan emphasizes rapid detection, shared data, and practical public health analysis as central to global epidemic readiness.