Meet the Liverpool team leading the fight against the next pandemic

  • Report by Tim Scott, ITV News Granada Reports

Scientists on Merseyside will be leading efforts to ensure the world copes better next time there is a pandemic.

Liverpool's School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) is getting almost £2.7 million to work on new technology and treatments for "emerging viral threats and neglected tropical diseases".

The urgent research effort has been launched in the wake of COVID-19.

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And it comes amid fears that infectious diseases, which cause millions of deaths around the world each year, are escalating due to climate change.

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine staff work on samples. Credit: Press Association

Professor David Lalloo, the LSTM's director, said: "This fund will not only help us to tackle the true diseases of poverty that impact the lives of some of the world’s poorest communities, but also allow us to prepare for the emerging threats of the future."

The school, known in Liverpool as the Trop Shop, said the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the impact new viruses can have on society.

The money has been invested by LifeArc, a charity which sponsors medical breakthroughs.

Dr Mike Strange, Head of Global Health at LifeArc, said he's delighted to be teaming up with LSTM's teams.

Dr Strange added: "LifeArc is committed to investing over £100 million in global health, with a focus on infectious diseases, over the coming years." 

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