Committees

Emerging diseases and learnings from covid-19

Inquiry

In the last three decades, 75% of new diseases in humans have originated in animals, and ‘spillover events’ (when a pathogen jumps from an animal into a human) have increased in prevalence. The UK has recently experienced its largest-ever outbreak of avian flu, a virus found in wild and domesticated birds which is also capable of infecting humans.

The Science and Technology Committee recently held a follow-up session on its joint Report with the Health and Social Care Committee, Coronavirus: lessons learned to date, which heard updates on the progress Government has made in implementing recommendations made by the joint inquiry with the Health and Social Care Committee.  

The Committee is seeking to examine how the Government is applying lessons learned from the covid-19 pandemic, and which of these could be applied to prevent the emergence and spread of new emerging diseases with pandemic potential. The Committee is also seeking to examine the UK’s biosecurity framework and involvement in international biosecurity initiatives.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 11:59pm on 31 March 2023.

Upcoming events

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Past events

Wednesday 28 February 2024
1:30pm Private
2:00pm Public
Emerging diseases and learnings from covid-19 - Oral evidence 28 February 2024
2:00pm
  • Nicola Newman (Managing Director at Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Service)
  • Sarah Brampton (Deputy Chief Executive at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust)
2:45pm
  • Ian McCubbin CBE (Former Industry Adviser at UK Government Vaccine Taskforce)
3:15pm
  • Professor Dame Jenny Harries (Chief Executive Officer at UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA))
Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Wednesday 24 January 2024
9:20am Private
9:30am Public
Emerging diseases and learnings from covid-19 - Oral evidence 24 January 2024
9:30am
  • Dr Sergio Carmona (Chief Medical Officer and Interim CEO at FIND)
  • Dr In-Kyu Yoon (Acting Executive Director of Vaccine Research & Development at CEPI)
10:15am
  • Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak (Chief Scientist at Health Scotland)
  • Professor Chris Molloy (CEO at Medicines Discovery Catapult)
  • Dr Robert Howes (Head of Discovery Sciences UK at Charles River Laboratories)
11:00am
  • Professor Sir Andrew Pollard (Director at Oxford Vaccine Group)
  • Dr Clive Dix (Chief Executive Officer at C4X Discovery)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Wednesday 21 June 2023
9:20am Private
9:30am Public
Emerging diseases and learnings from covid-19 - Oral evidence 21 June 2023
9:30am
  • Professor Paul Digard (Chair at Virology, Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh)
  • Professor Ian Barr (Deputy Director at World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza)
10:15am
  • Richard Griffiths (Chief Executive at British Poultry Council)
  • Professor James Pearce-Higgins (Director of Science at British Trust for Ornithology (BTO))
11:00am
  • Marc Lacey (Global Executive Director at Pandemic Response Solutions, CSL Seqirus)
  • Dr Meera Chand (Consultant Microbiologist, Deputy Director of TB, Acute Respiratory, Zoonotic and Emerging Infections at UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA))
Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Wednesday 14 June 2023
9:15am Public
Emerging diseases and learnings from covid-19 - Oral evidence 14 June 2023
9:15am
  • Professor Bryan Charleston (Director at The Pirbright Institute)
  • Professor Sir Peter Horby (Director at Pandemic Sciences Institute)
9:55am
  • Professor Nicola Lewis (Director at World Wide Influenza Centre, Francis Crick Institute)
  • Professor James Wood OBE (Head of Department of Veterinary Medicine at University of Cambridge)
10:35am
  • Professor Andrew Cunningham (Deputy Director of Science at Institute of Zoology)
  • Professor Dirk Pfeiffer (Deputy Director at One Health Poultry Hub)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster

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