Global Summit reinvigorates efforts to prepare for future pandemics

RIO DE JANEIRO, 30 July 2024:The Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2024, co-hosted by Brazil’s Ministry of Health, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) and CEPI, concluded today in Rio de Janeiro with a strong call for global leaders to reignite efforts to transform the world's ability to prepare and respond to future pandemics.

Amid the heightened risk of new deadly disease outbreaks that can strike anywhere at any time, 350 experts from governments, civil society, industry and health organisations around the world gathered at the Summit—held during Brazil’s 2024 G20 presidency—to harness scientific progress and political will to reinvigorate momentum around the pandemic preparedness agenda.

Spanning two days of discussions from over 80 expert speakers, the landmark event discussed lessons from COVID-19 and the progress made and challenges faced as the world strives to be better prepared to face down future pandemic threats rapidly and equitably. 

Conversations centred around efforts to ramp up disease surveillance, regional manufacturing and access to health tools and countermeasures that could combat epidemic and pandemic threats in as little as 100 days. The ambitious 100 Days Mission, spearheaded by CEPI and embraced by G7 and G20 nations, seeks to develop vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics against a novel viral threat in just over a three-month period. Achieving this goal—around a third of the time it took to create a COVID-19 vaccine—would give the world a fighting chance at stopping the next pandemic in its tracks.

Other discussions delved into whether the world is ready for a zoonotic influenza pandemic, how climate change is heightening epidemic risk, pandemic financing and the latest developments with the Pandemic Agreement negotiations.

In recognition of the need for strengthened preparedness and greater equity, organisations based in the Global South signed the Rio de Janeiro Declaration at the Summit. The statement, spearheaded by Fiocruz, calls for greater collaboration between partners within the Global North and Global South to overcome disparities in access to health tools and countermeasures in low- and middle-income countries. The Declaration also urges global health partners to prioritise research and equitable access policies to focus on end-to-end R&D and support the establishment of the Alliance for Regional and Local Production, Innovation and Access, as discussed within Brazil’s G20 Presidency framework.

Speaking at the Summit, Brazil’s Minister of Health, Dr Nísia Trindade Lima, said: “Global partnerships are key to the 100 Days Mission’s success. Brazil is undoubtedly capable of adopting this objective. Post-COVID, we've learned that equitable R&D, investment and access are crucial for public health. We cannot work only within our countries; we must think beyond borders. It's time for science, technology, and innovation to unite for robust public health policies. We must work together in global health so that it becomes a reality.”

Professor Mario Moreira, President of Fiocruz, said: “The Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit symbolises the level we are working at to achieve the common goal to build a world ready for pandemic threats. Fiocruz was created to respond to a huge health crisis at the beginning of the 20th century, and we are therefore entirely aligned with CEPI and our partners in recognising and responding to future emergencies. It’s time to think and design a different world with a new mindset to build global health systems and strengthen global pandemic preparedness and response, with coordination between the Global South and North.”

Professor Jane Halton, Chair, CEPI, said: “We are here today not just as individual representatives of our nations or organisations, but a global community—a global health defence force—united by a common purpose to ensure that the world is better prepared to face down outbreaks and prevent them from becoming deadly and devastating pandemics. Through new advances in surveillance, testing and vaccinology, we can look at what the future holds. Because preparedness is not just about preventing the next pandemic. It’s about building a world where every person, wherever they live, can be equally protected from potential threats."

Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said: “Infectious diseases can pop up quickly and we need to make sure we are ready to respond quickly and equitably. If a new coronavirus were to emerge, there is the potential we could respond in 100 days. But if a new disease were from the Paramyxovirus or Orthopoxvirus family, we’d likely not be ready yet. Importantly, we are moving in the right direction – but to reach the 100 Days Mission we need to advance capabilities with medical countermeasures and globalise access to these technologies. Addressing pandemics is essential for the well-being of the world's population, and Brazil's leadership can make a significant impact in this regard.”

The Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2024 was co-designed with global health partners FIND, the International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat (IPPS), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Unitaid and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Other important pandemic preparedness developments from the Summit include:

• Summit co-host Brazil’s Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz has joined CEPI’s growing network of vaccine producers in the Global South. As a member of the vaccine manufacturing network, CEPI will support Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz to boost and expand its local vaccine production efforts to support more rapid, agile and equitable responses to public health disease outbreaks in the region.

   

• Summit partner FIND has launched the Pathogen Diagnostic Readiness Index (PDxRI), a comprehensive tool for evaluating diagnostic preparedness by assessing the global availability of diagnostics for 21 pathogens with outbreak-, epidemic- and pandemic potential. Developed by FIND and OneTandem, the Index will enable the global community to make informed decisions, allocate resources and implement targeted interventions to scale up global diagnostic capacity.

   

• The Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative, an initiative supported by CEPI, the World Economic Forum and the US National Academies of Medicine, has announced its new strategy to support the establishment of regional vaccine manufacturing and supply chain networks to produce vaccines for routine use, with readiness for manufacturing of outbreak vaccines.

   

• A new clinical trial, funded by CEPI and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, will take place in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries assessing whether post-exposure vaccination could protect against mpox. Evidence generated could be crucial in shaping mpox vaccination strategies to help tackle a large and deadly outbreak escalating in the region.

   

• CEPI and ISARIC have outlined their collaboration to align research across vaccines and therapeutics to streamline their activities and accelerate the response to future disease threats.

Full outcomes and recommendations as well as video recordings of all Summit sessions will be published in the following days and weeks, with the aim to inform global leaders’ decision-making for international pandemic preparedness efforts.

Partner Quotes 

In their Summit interventions, leading figures shared the following perspectives on the progress made to rapidly develop and enable equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to fight off future epidemics and pandemics, and what needs to happen next:

Dr Tedros, WHO Director-General, said: “History teaches us that the next pandemic is not a matter of if, but when. COVAX reached the world's poorest faster than otherwise possible, but delays still cost lives. We cannot let this happen again. That’s why WHO’s 194 member states are negotiating a new international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Equitable access to vaccines and other tools is at the heart of the pandemic agreement.”

Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director, Health Emergencies Programme and Deputy Director-General, WHO, said: “COVID-19 is a stark reminder of our vulnerability to pandemic threats. We must better predict, prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies, building stronger, resilient systems. Science, research and innovations are the beacons for how we can move forward. Effective pandemic response hinges on equity, prioritising communities and cooperation across all stakeholders. For the first time in generations, we have the building blocks we need, and we must not step back. If anybody is at risk and affected, then everyone has a stake and everyone must benefit from the work that we set out to do.”

Ms Joy Phumaphi, Co-Chair, the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, said: “Everything is interconnected. We cannot talk about prevention, preparedness, or readiness in silos. We need to address all of it at the same time and involve civil society and the private sector from the start, with equity at the heart of our efforts. We are getting there and as we gather at this Summit, sharing lessons and taking stock of where we are globally, I hope we will have a more resilient population before the next pandemic.”

Dr Ayoade Alakija, Chair, FIND, said: “The world is facing threats today, with H5N1 and mpox. It’s time to get into a state of readiness, and not just preparedness. If we do not have diagnostics, we are not ready. Funding is critical for the diagnostics pathway and FIND has a framework to deliver on this for the 100 Days Mission, linking diagnostics with surveillance and point of care.”

Marta Fernandez Suarez, Chief Technology Officer, FIND, said: "Accurate diagnosis is the foundation of effective healthcare and resilient health systems. For the last 21 years, FIND has been working with countries, partners, WHO and other global and regional health agencies to close critical testing gaps, protecting people from preventable and treatable illnesses. FIND, in coordination with CEPI and International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat, has also been leading the diagnostics component of the 100 Days Mission, which remains entirely unfunded. Latin America has a unique opportunity to lead global efforts to strengthen regional production and manufacturing for diagnostics thereby reducing vulnerabilities during crises. We hope that the region will prioritize investments in diagnostic development and access so that everyone who needs a test, gets one."

Dr Mona Nemer, Chief Scientific Advisor, Government of Canada and Chair of the 100 Days Mission Steering Group, IPPS, said: "COVID-19 showed us that all countries need health system resilience, which includes resilient R&D systems. We must stop viewing endemic & pandemic diseases in competition. If we can't do the small things, we will never do the big things."

Heulwen Philpot, Head, IPPS, said: “The golden thread from our sessions over the past two days lies in the unanswered questions. We need to think through how we can better connect animal and human health, and bring the climate change community along with us. And we need to make our collective efforts more sustainable and consistent, for instance when it comes to formalising collaboration between regulators. The 100 Days Mission is a life’s work, but it provides the right framework and clarity the global community needs to make pandemic preparedness more manageable.”

Dr Jarbas Barbosa, Director, PAHO, said: “Compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, we have a much clearer view of the weaknesses of our countries' health systems and capacities and we have established instruments that provide better support - such as the new International Health Regulations. Yet, more concrete actions are required. We must ensure equitable access to healthcare to break the vicious cycle of poverty and disease, improve lives and reduce inequalities.”

Dr. Ethel Maciel, Secretary of Surveillance and Environment, Ministry of Health of Brazil, said: “Collaboration across ministries is crucial for pandemic preparedness. Combating misinformation and disinformation is also key to strengthening public health responses.”

Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director, Unitaid, said: “The reality is we don’t have the pipeline we need in terms of therapeutics. But the good news is that we can do something about it. Developing therapeutics and clinical care requires strong coalitions. This requires an end-to-end approach and innovative funding to support development and deployment.”

Mr Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Former Minister of Health of Japan & CEPI Goodwill Ambassador, said: “We should redefine pandemics as an issue of national and economic security. Global leaders should recognise pandemic preparedness and response as central to the stability of their own nations. We need deep mutual understanding between Ministries of Finance and Health from peacetime, with emergency funds readily available for swift and effective action. And we must innovate and build a new ecosystem that leverages private sector funds, with human resources and expertise. By doing so, we can enhance our agility to emerging threats.”

Prof Tulio de Oliveira, Director of CERI (Centre for Epidemic Response & innovation; Stellenbosch Uni) and KRISP (KZNResearch Innovation & Sequencing Platform), said: “Over half of currently known outbreak pathogens will be amplified due to climate change. It’s time that we join forces and listen to the Global South as we are the ones that are used to dealing with epidemics and can help the world deal with pandemics. We are engaging with partners and marrying different disciplines to share protocols, disease sequences, and R&D knowledge, and train workforces that can react where outbreaks are happening.”

Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Assistant Director-General, WHO, said: “Our biggest challenge is coherence in preparedness efforts. Collaboration is the cornerstone of effective pandemic preparedness. We need to advocate for collaborative surveillance, for R&D, and a large system that works for all diseases, within countries and globally. Aligning functions across various levels of government and society is essential.”

H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, said: “From limited infrastructure and data sharing challenges to resource constraints, it is important to address health surveillance systems weaknesses with global leaders. We need to explore innovative solutions to strengthen surveillance and protect our communities while ensuring  a rapid, equitable response to future outbreaks.”

Dr Luis Pizarro, Executive Director, DNDi, said: “The not-for-profit research organization the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is pleased to attend this meeting, which comes at a key moment as the largest dengue outbreak in history is taking place in Latin America and we are still reeling for the inequities of the COVID-19 pandemic. At DNDi we are calling for the development of treatments for pandemics and epidemic-prone diseases, including climate-sensitive diseases. We need open and collaborative approaches to discovering new drugs. We should start now to conceive drug discovery projects that aim to find promising new treatments and an antiviral R&D repository to enable access to the necessary reagents, assays and data.”

Dr David Reddy, Director-General of IFPMA, said: “The pharmaceutical industry is committed to playing our part to improve global preparedness against future pandemics. Toward this end, we have been a strong supporter of the 100 Days Mission since its inception. If we are to meet the shared ambition of delivering vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics within 100 days, we need to focus on developing the science and technological platforms, as well as the networks and mechanisms, we will need in advance of the next global health threat. Fostering greater coordination, collaboration, and trust between public and private actors—from academia to multinational pharmaceutical companies, biotechs, governments, and regulators—and harnessing different and flexible partnership models will be critical for timely and equitable access to medical countermeasures in future pandemics.”

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Notes to editors

This is the second Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit. The inaugural Summit was co-hosted by CEPI and the UK Government in March 2022. More information about the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2024 is available on the CEPI website and social media channels (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook).

About CEPI

CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil organisations. Its mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need. CEPI has supported the development of more than 50 vaccine candidates or platform technologies against multiple known high-risk pathogens or a future Disease X. Central to CEPI’s pandemic-beating five-year plan for 2022-2026 is the ‘100 Days Mission’ to compress the time taken to develop safe, effective, globally accessible vaccines against new threats to just 100 days.

About Fiocruz

The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) is Latin America's largest biomedical research institution, producing vaccines and medicines to supply the Unified Health System (SUS, the Brazilian national public health system). Linked to the Ministry of Health, it was created in 1900 to initially manufacture serums and vaccines against bubonic plague. Since then, Fiocruz has had an intense trajectory, intertwined with Brazil's public health development. Present in ten Brazilian states, as well as in the Federal District, the Foundation has 16 technical-scientific units focused on teaching, research, innovation, assistance, technological development, and extension in the health field.

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