Event-based Surveillance for All Hazards from the UK to the World: UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Global Hazard Weekly Bulletin (GHWB)

Summary: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has provided the Global Hazard Weekly Bulletin (GHWB) since 2012 to contribute to event-based surveillance (EBS) for all hazards. EBS is the organized and rapid capture of information about events that are a potential risk to public health (WHO 2008). A total of 445 bulletins were produced and released from October 8, 2012, to November 8, 2024. In accordance with GDPR, which governs the personal data of individuals, registration to receive the bulletin indicates that 20,741 subscribers (as of November 8, 2024) can now access this resource. The definition of ‘hazard’ is ‘a process, phenomenon or human activity that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation’ and that has had a significant human impact, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in February 2017. Each week, the GHWB team members work to identify hazardous events and disasters that have had a significant human impact that have occurred in the preceding seven days, which is collaboratively compiled and sent by UKHSA once a week with information collected from a variety of sources, including international media outlets, peer-reviewed literature, and reports from international organizations including United Nations (UN). The process of compiling, analyzing, and reviewing articles for inclusion in the bulletin has benefited the responsible team. The current team consists of members from several different teams across UKHSA, some of which are not focused on global hazards. Generating the GHWB provides some members of this group with the opportunity to enhance their understanding of the global hazards landscape. In addition, the process allows for the review and testing of the UNDRR/ISC Hazard Information Profiles (2021), which are currently being updated for the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in June 2025.