WHO Hub in Berlin, Robert Koch Institute, and Charité extend collaboration to strengthen global health security

Building on five years of successful collaboration, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin, which is part of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s central national public health agency, and Charité – Universitäts­medizin Berlin, one of Europe’s largest university hospitals, have extended their bilateral Memorandums of Understanding through 2031.

The renewal of the partnerships was marked during the opening of the World Health Summit by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General; Prof. Dr. Lars Schaade, RKI President; and Prof. Dr. Heyo K. Kroemer, Charité Chief Executive Officer.

 

Since 2021, with strong support from the German Federal Ministry of Health, the three partners have worked together to strengthen how countries detect, understand, and respond to emerging health threats. In a world where disease outbreaks can spread across borders within days, early detection is essential to protecting lives, economies and health systems in Germany and around the world.

The collaboration supports countries in building strong disease surveillance systems and a skilled public health workforce. Strong local capacities enable countries to develop and apply advances in artificial intelligence, pathogen genomics and data science, helping ensure that innovation translates into stronger preparedness and more effective responses to health threats.

The partnerships bring together a powerful combination of WHO's global reach and normative mandate, RKI's technical expertise and country partnerships, and Charité’s strengths in clinical, public health, and interdisciplinary research.  By hosting the WHO Hub in Berlin, Germany has further enhanced its position as a global centre for pandemic and epidemic intelligence, connecting German institutions with experts and decision-makers from around the world. These connections help strengthen preparedness in Germany while contributing to health security globally.

Together, RKI and WHO Hub have helped strengthen national public health systems, enabling countries to identify and respond to health threats more effectively. Grounded in national-level experience and based on global research, the partners have established innovative tools, guidance, and networks in the areas of public health intelligence, genomic sequencing, biosecurity, and public health policy.

The WHO-Charité Research Fellowship in Public Health Intelligence brings together senior researchers, Charité, and the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence to address real-world public health challenges. By linking interdisciplinary academic research with operational public health practice, the programme helps translate scientific insights into practical approaches to pandemic and epidemic preparedness.

Anchored in Berlin and connected around the world, the partnerships demonstrate how international organizations, public health institutions and academic centres can work together to help countries stay ahead of future health threats.

 

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