The UK Health Security Agency

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) working to protect health, reduce inequalities and build resilience for the future. UKHSA was established in 2021 as a successor to Public Health England (PHE) the agency leads the UK's response to health threats such as infectious diseases and environmental hazards across England.

Our role: Safeguarding the Nation's Health

Science and research are at the core of our UKHSA mission to protect lives and strengthen the nations health security. We work to:

  • Prevent threats: We monitor diseases, hazards and emerging risks to prevent spread.
  • Respond rapidly: When outbreaks or emergencies occur, we act fast to safeguard communities.
  • Build resilience: We prepare for the future by developing scientific research, data and partnerships that promote the safety of the UK.
  • Support health equity: We work with the NHS, local authorities and global partners to ensure health protection reaches everyone.

Together, we make the UK a safer, healthier place, today and for the generations to come.

Read UKHSA's Impact Case Studies
UKHSA Conference 2022.

Our Science Strategy

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) 10-year Science Strategy outlines the scientific assets, capabilities and ambitions of UKHSA, and our plan to protect the nation’s health from current and future health threats.

The Science Strategy shares our vision of how, through science, we will secure health and prosperity. It describes how we can develop our current scientific disciplines and infrastructures to meet the current and future health threats both nationally and globally.

UKHSA protects our communities from infectious diseases and the impact of chemical, radiological and other environmental health hazards. Our work depends on generating and applying the best scientific evidence.

Read UKHSA's Science Strategy

Our Strategic Ambitions

Through investment in scientific workforce and deeper partnerships with industry and academia, the strategy sets out UKHSA’s ambitions to:


  1. Predict and anticipate health threats, through investing in genomics, data science and surveillance, including disease vector (such as mosquitoes and ticks) surveillance.
  2. Create a more secure environment, by enhancing our understanding of the threats in the environment and building scientific defences against these hazards.
  3. Reduce and eliminate health threats, by strengthening the scientific evidence underpinning health protection programmes – at home and abroad.
  4. Act on the scientific evidence, translating data, knowledge and insights into practical actions.
  5. Unlock the potential of scientific assets, and securing the legacy from the pandemic to increase the impact of our science on health and economic prosperity strengthening vaccine and diagnostic development and evaluation and data science.
Colindale laboratory staff.

UK Health Security Agency Science 2024 Review

In 2025 UKHSA published their first science review, which summarises progress with the implementation of the strategy and considers the impact of our science.

Read our Science Review

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