The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a Pathogen Genomics Strategy programme to improve its ability to detect and understand the pathogens that pose the biggest health risks to the UK population.
The new strategy will help to ensure that policy and public health decision-making on preparing and responding to infectious disease threats is supported by scientific evidence.
Genomics can be used for several reasons, including detecting new threats, identifying outbreaks and finding their source, tracking the transmission of disease and selecting the most effective vaccines for the population.
Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by germs like bacteria, viruses and fungi, that cause infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and lyme disease, upon entering the body.
Genomics can be fully integrated into public health systems and used to inform decision-making locally, nationally and globally, as seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
In total, the UK submitted over three million SARS-CoV-2 sequences to the international GISAID database over the course of the pandemic.
The five-year plan aims to leverage existing infrastructure, capacity and scientific capabilities to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of genomic research.
The UKHSA Pathogen Genomics Strategy outlines seven strategic aims: the use of data to optimise clinical/public health decision-making; committing to data sharing and global collaboration; driving innovation; building high-impact services; and using data to drive improvements in diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics.
These will help to support and boost the UK’s capability in three priority public health areas: antimicrobial resistance (AMR), emerging infections and biosecurity, and vaccine preventable diseases and elimination programmes.
Designated as one of the top ten global health threats facing humanity by the World Health Organization, AMR occurs when bacteria, fungi and parasites gradually evolve to adapt to antibiotics.
Maria Caulfield, minister for women’s health strategy, said: “Detecting new infectious disease threats, identifying outbreaks and finding their source, and tracking transmission of disease… are of critical importance in keeping the country safe from threats to public health.
“This new strategy… will help us to identify and analyse the pathogens which pose the greatest threat to the UK population and to respond to them quickly and effectively.”