The International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) is a global network of pathogen genomic actors, hosted by the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, to accelerate progress on the deployment of pathogen genomics and improve public health decision-making.

By strengthening the pathogen genomic surveillance ecosystem, the IPSN enables faster detection of new pathogens and the enhanced tracking of the spread and evolution of diseases. This in turn can drive better public health responses. The IPSN supports ongoing disease surveillance and will help detect and fully characterize new disease threats before they become epidemics or pandemics.

Vision

A world where every country has equitable access to sustained capacity for genomic sequencing and analytics as part of its public health surveillance system.

Mission

A world where every country has equitable access to sustained capacity for genomic sequencing and analytics as part of its public health surveillance system.

Areas of work

To achieve its mission, the IPSN encompasses 5 areas of work:

  1. Communities of practice to solve common challenges

    At the heart of the IPSN’s work is a set of communities of practice that enable exchange between partners working on pathogen genomics. The first of these is the IPSN Community of Practice on genomics data. Its projects and deliverables aim to harmonize data standards and protocols, ensure genomics data tools are fit for purpose, and that data and benefits sharing are enhanced.

  2. Country scale-up accelerator to align efforts and enable South-South exchange

    The IPSN has established a Country Scale-Up Accelerator (CSUA) to accelerate and amplify the efforts of IPSN members to rapidly increase country capacity for pathogen genomic surveillance. The CSUA’s projects and deliverables aim to create a set of capacity-building tools as global goods, and to empower increased South-South bilateral and subregional partnerships for capacity development.

  3. Funding to improve equity and to power IPSN projects

    To ensure improved coordination and harmonization of donor efforts, the IPSN has established a funders forum, which works with the Secretariat to support IPSN activities and members including a small grants fund.

  4. High-level advocacy and communications to keep genomic surveillance on the agenda

    With active engagement of countries, partners, regional organizations and WHO, the IPSN keeps pathogen genomic surveillance on the global agenda and ensures strategic buy-in.

  5. Global partners forum for pathogen genomics to bring partners together

    The annual forum brings together key players from all IPSN entities involved in pathogen genomic surveillance, providing a high-profile stage to build partnerships, introduce innovations, socialize  ideas and advocate for political and financial commitments.

Outcomes

Well-functioning disease surveillance systems, of which pathogen genomic surveillance is an integral part, lead to lives saved and economic losses averted through the reduction of the disease burden of infectious diseases. To build towards a strong disease surveillance system, IPSN members and their work will result in:

  • stronger national and international surveillance systems better able to detect and characterize new threats and reduce endemic burdens;
  • increased harmonization and innovation in pathogen genomics;
  • increased scale and efficiency of country capacity building efforts; and
  • increased political attention and financing efficiency.

Become a member

IPSN member organizations represent key stakeholders of academic, governmental and non-governmental organizations that contribute to the advancement of public health and actively work in the field of pathogen genomic surveillance or in adjacent fields

To receive information on becoming an IPSN member organization, please fill out this form [HERE].