WHO and the swiss goverment to launch first global pathogen repository

On May 24, 2021, the Swiss Confederation and the World Health Organization signed an agreement to implement the first pathogen repository established by the WHO, belonging to the “BioHub” system, which will be located in a laboratory with the required biosafety infrastructure in the city of Spiez, Switzerland.

This repository will aim to characterize and store pathogens in secure conditions, and then, share them with affiliated members to ensure the flow of information because, as Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director of WHO said, “The COVID-19 pandemic and other outbreaks and epidemics have outlined the importance of rapid sharing of pathogens to help the global scientific community assessing risks and develop measures to control diseases, such as diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines”.

This collection will allow humanity to be more prepared in the event of a new biological threat, as well as to understand and fight current ones more efficiently, since there will be access to a larger number of strain research groups, for a better and greater understanding of them.

Source: https://www.who.int/es/news/

Written by Dr. Carmen de la Rocha. D. in Plant Biotechnology, CINVESTAV-Irapuato - Master of Science in Biochemical Engineering, ITC – Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Science, IBERO, León - Supervisor of the Department of Development CidVID - Professor of Subject B, CUCS UdeG Member of the National System of Researchers, level I.