The United States appreciates the August 12 statement by the World Health Organization on the next series of studies into the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We welcome the emphasis on scientific-based studies and data driven efforts to find the origins of this pandemic so that we can better detect, prevent, and respond to future disease outbreaks.
The United States intends to nominate skilled and well-qualified scientific experts for the International Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens, or SAGO, as called for by the WHO. We endorse the call for other countries to do the same.
We look forward to continuing our scientific cooperation with the WHO and the SAGO as we all seek to improve global efforts to respond to outbreaks, and to identify and prevent them in the future.