New Partnership to Strengthen Global Pandemic Preparedness

A new international platform – named the Global Pathogen Analysis Platform (GPAP) – is being developed to improve the global capacity to detect and prevent infectious diseases before they escalate into pandemics.

Utilizing artificial intelligence and bioinformatics, GPAP will bring together a range of advanced tools designed to help researchers and public health authorities around the world analyze and share data on infectious diseases more efficiently.

“Infectious diseases know no country borders – and neither should our preparedness,” says Pikka Jokelainen, Head of Function for Infectious Disease Preparedness and One Health at Statens Serum Institut (SSI).

“GPAP is built on the One Health approach, which is central to our work at SSI. Many infectious diseases can spread between humans, animals and the environment. Effective prevention and control therefore require an integrated approach.”

A Stronger Global Health Response

Global surveillance of infectious diseases is currently often fragmented and varies between countries and sectors. GPAP aims to pave the way for a shared digital infrastructure that unites data across borders, sectors, and disease types.

By applying artificial intelligence and automated analysis tools, the platform will translate complex genomic data into actionable insights, enabling researchers and health authorities to detect and respond to emerging health threats more rapidly. For low- and middle-income countries, GPAP is expected to reduce technical barriers and make participation in global disease surveillance more accessible.

“It is crucial that we detect and respond to new health threats as quickly and as locally as possible. If we can stop an outbreak of an infectious disease before it goes from local to global level, we can prevent future pandemics,” says Professor Henrik C. Wegener, who is heading the establishment of GPAP at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

Co-developed with End Users

Beyond the core partners, GPAP will be developed in close collaboration with institutions in low- and middle-income countries. The platform will be piloted and refined in dialogue with local researchers and health authorities to ensure user-friendliness and real-world applicability.

This approach will simultaneously help build local capacity to detect, analyze, and respond to outbreaks – contributing to a more resilient global infectious disease preparedness.

The platform will be established at DTU’s National Food Institute, in close collaboration with Statens Serum Institut, the University of Copenhagen, and Imperial College London. The project is supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation with funding of up to DKK 200 million over six years.

FACTS ABOUT GPAP

• Global Pathogen Analysis Platform (GPAP) is being established at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in collaboration with Statens Serum Institut (SSI), University of Copenhagen, and Imperial College London. Additional collaborators from Europe, Africa, and Asia are also participating in the development.
• The Novo Nordisk Foundation is supporting the initiative with up to DKK 200 million over six years.
• GPAP will provide researchers and public health authorities with access to advanced digital tools for the surveillance and analysis of pathogens.
• The platform is built on the One Health framework, recognizing the close interconnection between human health, animal health, and environmental health.