Preparing the developing world for the next pandemic: Evidence from China’s R&D blueprint for emerging infectious diseases.

Preparing the developing world for the next pandemic: Evidence from China’s R&D blueprint for emerging infectious diseases.

Publication date: Oct 01, 2024

With double pressures of endemic and imported emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), China’s ability to detect, prevent and control the unknown virus is of regional and global interest. This study aimed to establish an R&D Blueprint for EIDs in China by identifying the list of prioritized diseases and medical countermeasures (MCMs) that need proactive actions for the next pandemic. The process mainly referred to the World Health Organization’s prioritization methodology, supplemented by pipeline landscape, rapid risk assessment and multi-dimensional analysis. The study included five steps: 1) identifying potential pathogens, 2) screening into the long list, 3) prioritizing the long list, 4) identifying the final list and 5) generating an R&D Blueprint. China’s R&D Blueprint identified 14 viral pathogens and two virus groups (i. e., Influenza HxNy and Coronavirus X) for proactive and representative MCM development. At least one diagnostic candidate in preclinical study, and one therapeutic and one vaccine candidate in Phase I/II clinical trials for each prioritized pathogen were suggested to be developed as strategic national stockpiles. Various generalized and innovative platform technologies were also highlighted for enhancing overall capacities of EID preparedness and response, covering basic research, experiment, detection, prevention and control, surveillance and information sharing. This is the first study in developing countries that established an R&D Blueprint of prioritized diseases, countermeasures and technologies. Our findings could help to drive pre-emptive scientific and technological actions toward emerging pathogens that may cause the next epidemic and could provide evidence-based strategies for developing countries to establish their national health research agenda tailored to health and research context under resource-limited settings.

Concepts Keywords
China Biomedical Research
Coronavirus China
Pandemic Communicable Diseases, Emerging
Proactive COVID-19
Stockpiles Developing Countries
Developing countries
Emerging infectious disease
Humans
Pandemics
Priority setting
Research
Research and development

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH emerging infectious diseases
disease IDO process
disease MESH Influenza
disease IDO pathogen
disease MESH COVID-19

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