GSK and Microsoft Partner on “Disease Surveillance Project”

GSK and Microsoft launched the "Disease Surveillance Project" in collaboration. GSK serves as the health and disease partner of the project, which aims to prevent diseases carried by mosquitoes in Nepal, while Microsoft provided technological support. GSK's expertise in health and disease combined with Microsoft's Premonition systems—which use robotics and genomics for early detection of disease threats—resulted in the "Disease Surveillance Project," launched with support from Nepal's Health and Disease Research Center. The project, focused on communities facing health disparities in rising disease and virus outbreaks linked to climate change, was launched in Nepal to prevent the increase of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria. The Disease Surveillance Project prioritizes communities where disease outbreak detection is delayed, with the goal of developing new surveillance strategies for early detection and management of diseases. If positive outcomes are achieved, the project is planned to be made available to all communities in need.

GSK Global Health Director Thomas Breuer provided the following remarks on the project:

"The impact of health problems caused by climate change is more frequently seen in communities with limited healthcare services. The spread of diseases resulting from ongoing climate change is expected to increase on a global scale. In this context, with the Disease Surveillance Project we launched in collaboration with Microsoft, we prioritized providing benefit to communities disadvantaged in disease prevention. This project will support communities in adapting to the health impacts of climate change and will provide them with science-based solutions. As GSK and Microsoft, we view this project as an excellent example of what becomes possible when innovative companies from different sectors come together to develop solutions to climate-related health problems." he said.

Microsoft President and Vice Chair Brad Smith emphasized that technological advances can help overcome many health disparities and made the following remarks on the subject:

"New technologies play an important role in preventing problems arising from climate change in communities. By combining Microsoft's Premonition technology with GSK's expertise in healthcare, we designed a project that will benefit public health organizations in Nepal. As Microsoft, we will continue our efforts to overcome health disparities worldwide through strong partnerships."