Sharing data helps researchers to build on existing knowledge and make discoveries that can improve health. This includes the need to share data to anticipate and prepare for health emergencies, and to develop vaccines and experimental treatments.
Research is an essential part of being ready for and responding to public health emergencies. It’s critical that any new knowledge is shared in a timely manner in a way that’s equitable, ethical and transparent.
Together with a range of partners, we’re calling on funding bodies, journals and research organisations to share research findings and data relevant to the COVID-19 outbreak. Read the joint statement.
This is an update to previous statements on the:
We expect the principles set out in these statements to be applied to outbreaks in the future, where there is a global imperative to share research findings and data rapidly and widely.
Our article for the World Health Organization looks at the progress that’s been made since the 2016 statement, and at the key challenges posed by data sharing in public health emergencies.
We’re a member of the GloPID-R network and its data sharing working group.
The working group has developed: