News

The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced US$ 1.8 million in funding for a second round of catalytic grants to strengthen pathogen surveillance in low- and middle-income countries. The funding will support organizations working in pathogen genomic surveillance as well as wastewater and environmental surveillance. 

Genomic and wastewater surveillance are two key approaches for detecting and monitoring pathogens. Genomic surveillance involves sequencing and analyzing pathogen genomes to track how they change and spread over time. Wastewater and environmental surveillance tests samples from the environment to detect and track pathogens circulating in communities. Used together, these approaches support public health officials to identify and respond to emerging health threats faster and more effectively. 

The fund was launched by the International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN), a global network of pathogen surveillance actors housed by the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin. The fund is implemented in partnership with the United Nations Foundation as fiduciary host and the grants are provided by the Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and the Institute of Philanthropy, which joined in 2025. 

The $1.8 million in funding will be available to IPSN members in low- and middle-income countries to bring their innovations to the forefront. Funding empowers these members to create an evidence base for innovative pathogen surveillance methods such as genomic surveillance and wastewater and environmental surveillance and develop tools as global goods. Moreover, being supported through IPSN engages network members and shares valuable knowledge on a global scale.