Outbreaks of infectious diseases are increasing due to multiple local and global interaction changes and the growing frequency and complexity of health threats require a different form of preparedness and a coordinated, fast, reliable and effective emergency response. 

The DURABLE project was launched in 2023 for a duration of four years with a budget of €30 million, out of which 83% is funded by HERA. The consortium is a unique network of research and public health laboratories addressing various pathogens and employing a One Health approach at every step. The consortium partners number 19 institutes across Europe with complementary expertise in emerging diseases research and public health provision. Coordinated jointly by the Institut Pasteur and Erasmus University Medical Center, the consortium also includes the Pasteur Network as partner which itself is a global network of institutes, increasing the reach of DURABLE from within the EU to worldwide. 

Working with other existing networks, DURABLE aims to maximise EU efforts with its integrating approach, promote interdisciplinary approaches, and provide rapidly experimental data to inform decision making at EU level.  

Ultimately, DURABLE will be a one-stop shop for diagnostics, research, preparedness and response to current and future health threats for the benefit of citizens in the EU and worldwide. 
 
What is the purpose?  

It is not possible to determine which pathogen will be the cause of the next health emergency and that is why DURABLE is specifically set-up to contain expertise on various pathogens with high pandemic potential as well as facilities to accommodate a wide range of potential threat scenarios. Through this, DURABLE acts as a research & innovation-powered insurance against pathogen X. 

The goals of DURABLE are to leverage experimental, modelling work and lab response actions which are necessary for the development and assessments for adaptations of medical countermeasures and their rapid deployment. To test the robustness of the network and assess key aspects of its emergency mode when simulating or dealing with identified threats are important tasks carried out during preparedness to ensure swift actions during an emergency. The network also targets long-term sustainability by focusing on capacity building, training the next generation of researchers, and developing pandemic preparedness training modules for the network and beyond. 

The DURABLE grant has now been operational for one year in which HERA had regular exchanges with the network and frequently requested information. A recent meeting of the consortium served to showcase the achievements of the individual work packages and to reflect on the progress as well as challenges experienced in the past year. DURABLE aims to provide high-quality scientific information in record time to support HERA’s decision-making in preparing for and responding to cross-border health threats and assessing the impact of countermeasures. By establishing a sustainable network of laboratories and research institutes that can address the barriers to better preparedness, the consortium can provide alerts, real-time scientific data and integrated analyses to HERA. 

“DURABLE will be uniquely positioned to support HERA in responding to future health emergencies, by providing timely scientific intelligence and by translating them into operational recommendations,” says  co-coordinator of the programme, Dr. Marion Koopmans from the Erasmus Medical Center.