Britain to Launch New Health Security Agency to Battle Pandemics

The UK has said it will launch a new government agency next week — called the UK Health Security Agency (UKSA) — to prepare for future pandemics.

The new agency, which will be part of the Department of Health and Social Care, will combine “cutting-edge analytics and genomic surveillance” with pandemic response capabilities to bolster the UK’s defenses against possible public health crises.  

The new agency will be led by Jenny Harries, England’s deputy chief medical officer, who has played a leading role in combatting COVID-19.