UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will launch plans for a new Global Pandemic Radar to identify coronavirus variants and track new diseases around the world.
“Tackling Covid-19 globally and ensuring we are better prepared for future health threats is an absolute priority for the UK’s G7 presidency,” Mr Johnson said before Friday’s launch of the project, ahead of the Global Health Summit hosted by Italy and the EU.
“The world must never be caught unawares again by a virus spreading among us unchecked.
"We need to build a system of disease surveillance fit for the 21st century, with real-time data sharing and rapid genomic sequencing and response."
The pathogen surveillance network aims to be this system, enabling the rapid development of vaccines, treatments and tests.
Mr Johnson spoke to the Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and Wellcome Trust director Jeremy Farrar on Thursday about the next steps for the project before the G7 summit, which the UK is hosting in June.
The WHO will lead an implementation group, supported by the Wellcome Trust, to launch the new international partnership.
Work on tracking future pandemics is already under way, and earlier in May, a WHO centre for pandemic and epidemic intelligence was unveiled in Berlin.
The WHO surveillance first identified the B1617 Indian variant, which is now present in 50 countries and has jeopardised the UK’s timetable for lifting Covid restrictions.
The Global Pandemic Radar is expected to be fully up and running with a network of surveillance centres before the end of 2021.
Mr Johnson first called for a global network of disease surveillance centres in a five-point plan presented to the UN Security Council last September.
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Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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- First Test: Starts Thursday, Lord's, 2pm (UAE)
- Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
- Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
- Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
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Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
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Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
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