Leading experts in health from around the world meet in the headquarters of the world health organization in Geneva to assess the current level of knowledge about the new disease COVID-19, identify gaps and collaborate to speed up and Finance priority research needed to stop this outbreak and prepare for any future outbreaks.
The two-day forum was convened in accordance with the research Plan and development of the who strategy for developing drugs and vaccines to disease and accelerate research and developments before they happen.
“This outbreak — test of solidarity — political, financial and scientific. We must come together to fight a common enemy who does not respect borders, to ensure all of us to have the resources needed in order to put an end to this outbreak and bring our best science to the forefront in order to find common answers to common problems. Studies are an integral part of the response to the outbreak,” said who Director-General of Dr. tedros adhanom Gebreyesus. “I appreciate the positive response of the research community, which promptly joined us and has developed concrete plans and a commitment to work together.”
The meeting, organized in collaboration with GloPID-R (Global research collaboration for preparedness to infectious diseases), gathered together major research sponsors and more than 300 scientists and researchers from many different disciplines. They discussed all aspects of the outbreak and ways to combat it, including:
- natural history of the virus, its transmission and diagnosis;
- research the origin of the virus in animals and the environment, including measures to control the border between man and animal;
- epidemiological studies;
- clinical characteristics and treatment of diseases caused by a virus;
- infection prevention and control, including the best ways to protect health workers;
- research and development of candidates for therapeutic drugs and vaccines;
- ethical considerations for research;
- and integration of social Sciences in response to the outbreak.
“This meeting allowed us to identify relevant research priorities. As the group of sponsors we will continue to mobilize, coordinate and align our funding to conduct research necessary to overcome this crisis and stop the outbreak, in partnership with who, ” said Professor Yazdan Yazdanpanah, Chairman GloPID-R. “Equal access — ensuring that we communicated and reaching the most needy, especially in countries with low and middle income, is fundamental to this work, which should always be guided by ethical considerations.”
