UK's science strategy to focus on genomic surveillance

A new science strategy outlines how the UK will prepare for emerging health threats, aiming to cement the UK's position as a 'global science superpower'.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a document outlining a ten-year plan titled 'UKHSA Science Strategy 2023 to 2033: Securing health and prosperity'. The strategy is focused on leveraging the UK's expertise in genomics, data science and surveillance to protect against future health threats. The report is heavily influenced by lessons learned during the UK's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor Dame Jennie Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, summarised: 'We are already working to continuously protect the public from existing and emerging health threats, but our new strategy will ensure the UK is ready to tackle all current and future health threats quickly and effectively.'

The strategy is targeting key areas of concern, such as new and emerging infections, climate change, antimicrobial resistance, pollution and radiological incidents. As part of this, the UKHSA defined plans to deliver the '100 Days Mission', a commitment the International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat called on members of the G7 to commit to and which the UK initially committed in June 2021. This aims to make testing, drugs and vaccines available within 100 days of a new pandemic threat emerging. Central to multiple parts of the strategy is a 'genomic transformation', where genomic data will be applied to better analyse and contain infectious disease outbreaks.

'We saw the art of the possible during the coronavirus pandemic with genomic data allowing the rapid identification and characterisation of variants', commented Professor Isabel Oliver, chief scientific advisor at the UKHSA.

Specifically, the UKHSA plans to enhance pathogen surveillance in the population and in hospitals, testing not just for common infections but all pathogens in a sample. By monitoring more pathogen genomes, health experts will be able to detect mutations (such as antibiotic resistance mutations) and outbreaks more quickly. This approach has already proved successful in the UK, allowing faster diagnosis of community tuberculosis infections, and helping identify the cause of a surge of viral childhood hepatitis cases last year, the UK Health Security Agency reported.

To deliver the ambitious plan, the UKHSA has cited a recent boost in funding across the life sciences sector and promised to strengthen collaborations between academia and industry. Health officials stress that protecting against health threats will benefit multiple sectors.