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 "The arguments for sharing data and the consequences of not doing
so (have been) ... thrown into stark relief by the Ebola and Zika
outbreaks," said a statement issued by signatories from around the
world.
Specialists welcomed the initiative, saying it showed how the global
health community had learned crucial lessons from West Africa's
Ebola epidemic, which killed more than 11,300 people and saw
scientists scrambling to conduct research to help in the development
of potential treatments and vaccines.
Zika, a viral disease carried by mosquitoes, is causing
international alarm as an outbreak in Brazil has now spread through
much of the Americas.
"In the context of a public health emergency of international
concern, there is an imperative on all parties to make any
information available that might have value in combating the
crisis," the signatories wrote.
Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether it may cause
birth defects or other neurological problems.
 Brazil is investigating a potential link between Zika infections and
some 4,000 suspected cases in newborn babies of microcephaly, a
condition in which an abnormally small head size can result in
developmental problems.
Medical and scientific research teams around the world have stepped
up efforts to find out more about the disease, including how
vaccines or treatments might be developed to fight it.
Mark Woolhouse, a University of Edinburgh professor of infectious
diseases, said the open sharing of data commitment was "one of the
most welcome developments" he'd seen in decades.
"If acted upon, this declaration will save lives," he said.
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Signatories to Wednesday's agreement to share the fruits of that
research included the United States Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World
Health Organization (WHO), France's Institut Pasteur, the UK Academy
of Medical Sciences and the Wellcome Trust global health charity.
Scientific journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine,
Nature, Science and The Lancet, pledged to
"make all content concerning the Zika virus free to access".
Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and a signatory of the
statement, said research is an essential part of the response to any
global health emergency.
"This is particularly true for Zika, where so much is still unknown
about the virus, how it is spread and the possible link with
microcephaly," he said.
Trudie Lang, a professor and director of the Global Health Network
at Britain's Oxford University, said that if data is shared more,
"questions can be answered faster".
"This agreement is a very important step...and it is excellent to
see the lessons we learnt from Ebola being put into place," she
said.
(Reporting by Kate Kelland; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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