BERLIN, GERMANY / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization has established a goal for nations to recognize and analyze new health threats within 24 hours by the year 2030. This objective is at the core of a newly unveiled five-year plan for the organization’s Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. The strategy was introduced during the World Health Summit 2026 in Berlin and emphasizes earlier outbreak detection, enhanced surveillance, and quicker processing of health information. The plan spans from 2026 to 2030.
The WHO Pandemic Hub, launched in Berlin in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic’s exposure of significant gaps in global disease monitoring, received initial support from the German government. Since its inception, it has collaborated with over 160 WHO Member States and approximately 190 partner organizations and networks. Its work involves public health agencies, researchers, and technical specialists who share data, monitor pathogens, and enhance epidemic detection systems. The Hub operates under WHO’s broader Health Emergencies Programme.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the Hub has become an integral part of the global health security framework since its launch. The 2030 strategy outlines goals related to surveillance, detection, analysis, and digital infrastructure, while also aiming to foster greater cooperation among nations and scientific institutions. The Hub intends to develop tools that enable health authorities to evaluate emerging risks more rapidly. WHO notes that the strategy builds on lessons learned during the first five years of the Hub’s operation and establishes a common standard for outbreak intelligence among countries.
International networks bolster quicker outbreak identification
Supporting the new strategy are five key initiatives. Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources scans publicly available information for potential signals of health threats, employing artificial intelligence to process large data volumes. WHO reports that over 125 Member States and 30 regional and international organizations utilize this platform. Its EIOS community comprises more than 4,000 experts, assisting health authorities in locating, reviewing, and evaluating information that may require urgent public health attention.
The International Pathogen Surveillance Network emphasizes genomic sequencing and bioinformatics, now involving nearly 360 partners across more than 110 countries. The Collaboratory links over 2,000 specialists in modeling and data science. Additionally, the Collaborative Surveillance Initiative supports efforts in more than 83 countries via a One Health approach. WHO also plans to expand digital tools through a new initiative focused on secure data sharing and responsible artificial intelligence. These programs form the operational backbone of the 2026 to 2030 strategy.
Partnerships in Berlin to extend through 2031
The Hub has renewed cooperation agreements with the Robert Koch Institute and Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin through 2031. These collaborations cover public health surveillance, pathogen genomics, artificial intelligence, and data science. Since the early days of the Hub in Berlin, these organizations have been partners, combining international health coordination with national expertise in research and public health. The German Federal Ministry of Health has supported this broader partnership. The renewed agreements sustain a Berlin-based network dedicated to research, analysis, and preparedness activities.
WHO asserts that its 24-hour detection target will steer the Hub’s efforts through the end of the decade. The organization aims for countries to identify threats swiftly and develop a clearer understanding of how new outbreaks unfold. The strategy also emphasizes the importance of advanced digital systems and wider access to pathogen intelligence. WHO will maintain links between national authorities, scientists, and international partners through existing networks. The 2030 plan places rapid detection, shared data, and practical public health analysis at the heart of global epidemic preparedness.