Asia Pathogen Genomics Initiative has given the first public look at PathGen, an AI-driven platform designed to help public health authorities detect disease threats earlier and act on them with greater speed and confidence. Presented on 1 December in Singapore, the tool brings together pathogen genomics and a wide set of contextual data to support faster decision-making while keeping each country’s data under its own control.
Asia PGI said the platform is intended to strengthen health security across Asia and beyond by reducing delays between detection and intervention. It is built as a decentralised system that shares insights rather than raw data, allowing countries to collaborate without compromising sovereignty. According to the initiative, this approach aims to break long-standing data silos that often slow outbreak response and limit preparedness.
The preview was hosted by the Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness and Temasek Foundation. The demonstration showed how PathGen can combine data sources such as genomics, clinical information, population data, climate indicators and mosquito habitat patterns. By applying modern AI models, the platform is designed to offer clearer situational awareness, enabling decisions on treatment protocols, vaccine deployment and resource allocation before outbreaks escalate.
More than 100 regional health officials and partners attended the event. Representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam took part in a joint commitment to develop PathGen as a regional public good, while partners from the Philippines joined online. Singapore’s Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, Ong Ye Kung, was guest of honour.
Addressing limits in current surveillance
Asia PGI described the need for PathGen as urgent, citing rapid population growth, mobility, climate pressures and antimicrobial resistance as drivers of increasingly frequent and complex outbreaks. Traditional epidemiological surveillance captures case numbers and hospitalisations, while genomic surveillance can reveal how and where infections spread. However, many existing systems remain fragmented, lack contextual data or face restrictions around data sharing.
Recent advances in AI now make it possible to integrate diverse datasets in ways that were previously difficult. PathGen uses this capability to support timely public health decisions, while its federated design ensures that only processed insights are shared across borders. Professor Paul Pronyk, Director of the Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness, said the preview shows how combining AI with pathogen genomics can support clinicians and public health authorities. “This proof of concept shows how AI and pathogen genomics can work together to provide actionable intelligence for clinicians and public health authorities. By sharing only essential insights, countries can respond faster to outbreaks while strengthening trust and sovereignty.”
Dr Lee Fook Kay, Head of Pandemic Preparedness at Temasek Foundation, highlighted the cost of delays in outbreak response. “Every delay between detecting a pathogen and making the right public health decision costs lives. Temasek Foundation is catalysing PathGen, as it can integrate genomic information with other relevant surveillance, population and environmental data sources into timely insights that health authorities can act upon. A shared intelligence system that protects sovereignty, cuts response time, and stops outbreaks before they become crises, that’s the future of health security and preparedness.”
Development roadmap and next steps
PathGen is housed within Asia PGI, which is coordinated by the Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness. The initiative brings together more than 50 government and academic partners across 15 countries, supported by three major funders: the Gates Foundation, Temasek Foundation and Philanthropy Asia Alliance. Four development partners – Amazon Web Services, IXO, Sequentia Biotech and Sydney ID at the University of Sydney – are contributing technologies and expertise to move the platform from concept to real-world use.
The platform will move from proof-of-concept to launch-ready status over the next 18 months, with pilots scheduled from early 2026 and a phased rollout through 2027. Asia PGI plans to work closely with country partners to assess technical needs, plan secure in-country deployment, set governance and benefit-sharing frameworks, integrate analytics into national systems and build capacity for laboratories and implementation teams. Regular briefings and demonstrations will continue as part of the regional coordination effort.
