BERLIN, GERMANY / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization has launched a five-year strategy to strengthen global outbreak detection. The plan aims for every country to detect and understand emerging health threats within 24 hours by 2030. WHO unveiled the strategy during the World Health Summit 2026 in Berlin. The agency said faster detection can support earlier public health action before outbreaks expand across communities or borders. The 24-hour goal gives the program a clear global benchmark for surveillance capacity.
The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence will lead the work from Berlin through its 2026 to 2030 strategy. The Hub opened in 2021 with foundational support from the German government after weaknesses exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It now works with more than 160 WHO Member States and 190 partner organizations and networks. Its activities cover surveillance, pathogen identification, data analysis and international cooperation on emerging health threats. The Hub operates as part of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Hub has become part of the global health security system since its creation. The new strategy sets four objectives focused on stronger surveillance, faster detection, better analysis and trusted digital foundations. WHO said the program will connect governments, public health bodies, scientists and technology specialists. The organization plans to build on existing systems while expanding access to tools for rapid threat assessment. The strategy also emphasizes turning health data into information that can guide public health decisions.
Five initiatives anchor the strategy
The strategy will operate through five linked initiatives covering open-source intelligence, pathogen surveillance, modelling, national surveillance and digital systems. Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources uses artificial intelligence to scan thousands of public sources each day for potential health threats. WHO says the system serves more than 125 Member States and 30 regional and international organizations. Its global EIOS community includes more than 4,000 experts who support health threat detection and assessment. The platform gives participating authorities access to real-time information from publicly available sources.
The International Pathogen Surveillance Network strengthens genomic sequencing and bioinformatics capacity for identifying and understanding emerging pathogens. Tedros said the network now includes nearly 360 partners across more than 110 countries. The Collaboratory connects more than 2,000 modelling and data science experts who can support responses when new threats appear. The Collaborative Surveillance Initiative operates in more than 83 countries and supports national institutions through a One Health approach. A new Digital Enablers initiative will focus on secure data sharing, analysis and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
Berlin partnerships extended through 2031
The WHO Hub also extended agreements with the Robert Koch Institute and Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin through 2031. The organizations have worked together since 2021 on surveillance, genomics, data science and public health preparedness. Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health has supported the collaboration during that period. The partnerships combine WHO’s international role with the institute’s public health expertise and Charité’s clinical and research capabilities. The renewed agreements continue joint work linking scientific research with practical public health systems.
WHO says the 24-hour target is the central ambition of its Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence strategy through 2030. The Hub supports countries in building systems that can identify threats and improve understanding of how outbreaks develop. Its strategy also calls for stronger digital infrastructure, wider analytical cooperation and improved pathogen surveillance. The organization will use its global networks to support national capacity for detecting and assessing new health threats. WHO says the five-year plan builds on the Hub’s first five years of international collaboration.