Norway strengthens global preparedness for future pandemics

The world is better prepared to respond to new health crises today than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, experience from recent years has shown how important it is to maintain investments in research, preparedness, and international cooperation to respond to future disease outbreaks.

‘Pandemics have no borders. That is why we need strong international partnerships that can support the rapid development of vaccines and other medical countermeasures when new health threats emerge. CEPI is an excellent example of how countries can work together to strengthen global preparedness,‘ said Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust.

Since its inception, Norway has been a key supporter of CEPI. The organisation was established in 2017 as an international partnership between governments, research institutions, civil society organisations and philanthropic actors to develop vaccines and other medical countermeasures against epidemics and pandemics. CEPI works to ensure that such countermeasures are available to everyone who needs them.

Norway's contribution will be announced during the United Nations High-level Week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Investing in future preparedness

CEPI's new strategy, CEPI 3.0, covers the period 2027 to 2031. The strategy is designed to strengthen global capacity to prevent and respond to future epidemics and pandemics.

A key objective is the so-called '100 Days Mission'. The goal is to develop, test and make safe and effective vaccines available against a new pandemic threat within 100 days of a virus being identified. This objective has been highlighted by both the G7 and G20 countries as an important element of global health preparedness.

To achieve this, CEPI will, among other things, work to develop vaccines against priority disease threats, advance technologies that can be rapidly adapted to new viruses, and strengthen collaboration among researchers, public health authorities and vaccine manufacturers worldwide.

‘The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the critical importance of international cooperation, research and innovation in responding to global health crises. Through its support for CEPI, Norway is helping to ensure that the world is better prepared when the next serious health threat emerges,‘ said  Aukrust.

From research to action

CEPI supports research into infectious diseases that have the potential to develop into epidemics or pandemics. The organisation works with governments, research institutions, industry and international organisations worldwide to improve preparedness and enable a rapid response when new threats emerge.

The new strategic period builds on the experience gained during CEPI's first years of operation and aims to ensure that new knowledge and technologies can be put into use more quickly when the world faces new health challenges.

For many years, Norway has been a strong advocate of international cooperation on global health. Support for CEPI forms part of the Norwegian Government's efforts to improve global health preparedness and contribute to a safer and better-prepared world.