The World Health Organization and The Rockefeller Foundation have formed a partnership to strengthen global pandemic preparedness resources.
The investment from The Rockefeller Foundation, a philanthropic group focused on science, technology and innovation, will be used in four ways, according to a May 23 news release from the foundation.
1. To scale global capacity for genomic surveillance through the newly launched International Pathogen Surveillance Network.
2. To develop a digital platform for real-time communication and collaboration between public health analysts and researchers worldwide.
3. To create user-centered product strategies for existing WHO epidemic technology to better support global public health agencies.
4. To improve outbreak detection through a data science initiative in partnership organizations.
The partnership builds on The Rockefeller Foundation's 75-year history of collaboration with the WHO — including $27 million worth of grants throughout the last 20 years, according to the release.