# About Urgent action is required to address growing biosecurity risks. ## The time for BRIDGE is now We stand at a critical juncture in the fight against infectious diseases as the frequency and intensity of disease outbreaks is on the rise. Many organizations are working on disparate pieces of the disease monitoring puzzle, yet data and efforts continue to be siloed. The world needs sustainable, secure, and trusted mechanisms for disease intelligence and data sharing so decision-makers can make informed and timely decisions. ## Why now? The confluence of these scientific, political, and social currents creates a unique opening for transformative change. ### Accelerating global health security threats The frequency and intensity of infectious disease outbreaks are on the rise, driven by factors such as climate change, urbanization, and globalization with 166 public health alerts in Africa alone in 2023. ### National biosecurity readiness Advances in bio-engineering raise the risk of accidental or intentional pathogen release. Governments seek better ways to mitigate these risks to safely harness emerging technologies. ### Technological breakthroughs Rapid advances in genomic sequencing, big data analytics, and AI are creating powerful tools for disease surveillance and prediction. However, due fragmentation, trust, and inherent sector challenges these technologies are not being utilized to their full potential. ### Geopolitical shifts Health security is vulnerable to cycles of panic & neglect despite the community creating new coalitions for vaccine equity, regional coordination, and multilateral financing. To sustain long term change there is need for broader engagement across sectors. ### Evolving data governance landscape The collection, sharing, and use of health data is becoming an increasingly salient issue, with implications for privacy and equity. ## BRIDGE Alliance principles Disease intelligence networks must be sustainable, generate shared value, have a multi-sectoral nature, and remain respectful and ethical. ### Collaboration Collaboration with country partners to address and accelerate needs and priorities while ensuring regional and global connectivity. ### Mutual benefits Accelerate and amplify the work of its members to improve access and quality of disease intelligence. ### Multi-sectoral stakeholders Convene private and public sector stakeholders from across industries and geographies that are dedicated to equity and health security. ### Privacy Respect for privacy and sovereignty of data shared by participating countries and organizations. ### Responsible Adherence to responsible data practices that protect individual rights, prevent misuse, and ensure inclusive and equitable benefits for all parties involved. ## Initial concept The BRIDGE Alliance will convene necessary stakeholders to support the design of data intelligence networks that are interoperable with other systems and can be tailored to local needs with the goal of becoming financially sustainable. ## Design features ### Enhancing surveillance capabilities BRIDGE will strengthen threat-agnostic surveillance infrastructure, creating more robust, effective, agile and resilient systems. ### Delivering recurring value BRIDGE focuses on identifying and validating use cases that benefit public health, contributing to economic stability and societal wellbeing. ### Supporting local ownership BRIDGE will co-design with countries and industry to support interoperable data network, integrating them into national and regional health security strategies . ### Enabling network effects As more countries join the network, the value for all will grow. The BRIDGE Alliance designed open architecture will enable continuous expansion, by serving as connective tissue to link existing systems. ### Sharing assets BRIDGE's key assets (e.g. roadmaps, needs assessments, business cases, and partnership frameworks) will be available as global public goods. This allows other countries and partners to adopt and adapt tools without starting from scratch. ### Work with us Join the Alliance to shape global health and security. [Get involved](https://initiatives.weforum.org/biosecurity-initiative/get-involved)