The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has unveiled a new initiative aimed at significantly enhancing the nation's ability to diagnose and test for emerging infectious diseases.
The newly formed Diagnostic Accelerator was officially launched by UKHSA Chief Executive Professor Dame Jenny Harries during a speech at the Faculty of Public Health.
The Diagnostic Accelerator is set to revolutionize the speed at which diagnostic tests, including lateral flow tests (LFDs), molecular point of care tests, and polymerase chain reaction tests (PCRs), can be developed and scaled for a variety of pathogens. This initiative is a critical component of the UK's strategy to bolster pandemic preparedness and response capabilities.
Chief Executive Dame Professor Jenny Harries said:
“We are working constantly to ensure the right defences are in place for when the UK faces the next pandemic threat. Having world leading testing and diagnostic infrastructure in place is a critical part of this.
“The Diagnostic Accelerator will help keep us at the forefront of innovation and ensure that the UK is a step ahead when it comes to tackling a wide range of pandemic and epidemic threats.”
Work has already commenced to identify and address gaps in the UK's diagnostic capabilities for key viral and bacterial pathogens. The UKHSA is forging new partnerships with industry, academia, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and other government bodies to prioritise the development of tests for pathogens with the highest pandemic and epidemic potential.
The Diagnostic Accelerator will undertake several key projects, including:
- Pathogen X: Conducting extensive surveys of available diagnostics for a wide range of pathogens to determine adaptable tests for new, potentially unknown pathogens.
- Sample Collection Kits for High Consequence Infectious Diseases: Using chemical inactivation to make samples safe at their point of collection, thereby removing bottlenecks in current sample processing pathways and reducing risk to staff.
- Mpox: Rapidly evaluating mpox LFDs and clinical performance to determine their potential use by the public in the event of a wider outbreak
Dr. Isabel Oliver, UKHSA Chief Scientific Officer, highlighted the role of the Diagnostic Accelerator in pandemic preparedness:
“The Diagnostic Accelerator is a vital part of our pandemic and epidemic preparedness, ensuring we have the diagnostic capabilities and tests ready to go when new infectious diseases begin to threaten the safety of the country.
“As part of this, we will work with industry and other partners to ensure that diagnostic tests are rapidly available, to help us tackle the spread of disease faster and more effectively.
“We saw during the COVID-19 pandemic how important testing was for controlling and slowing the spread of the disease, and by focusing on speeding up the rollout of diagnostics and testing we can ensure we have a running start when dealing with the next threat to the UK’s health.”
The Diagnostic Accelerator also plays a crucial role in the UK's contribution to the global 100 Days Mission, an initiative launched under the UK G7 presidency in 2021. The mission aims to deploy effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic tests within 100 days of identifying a new pandemic threat.
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