International Organizations Launch One Health High-Level Expert Panel to Prevent Zoonotic Diseases

Strategic Insights -

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced the launch of a new One Health High-Level Expert Panel to improve understanding of how zoonotic diseases emerge and spread. The panel, comprising international organizations the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Health Organization (WHO), will advise on the development of a long-term global plan of action to prevent outbreaks of diseases like H5N1 avian influenza, MERS, Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19.

Key Takeaways:

  • The panel will operate under the One Health Approach, recognizing the links between human, animal, and environmental health and highlighting the need for specialists in multiple sectors to address health threats and prevent disruption to agri-food systems.
  • Three-quarters of all emerging infectious diseases originate in animals, and the panel will consider the impact of human activity on the environment and wildlife habitats, including food production and distribution, urbanization and infrastructure development, international travel and trade, and activities leading to biodiversity loss and climate change.
  • Key first steps will include systematic analyses of scientific knowledge about disease transmission, risk assessment and surveillance frameworks, identification of capacity gaps, and agreement on good practices to prevent and prepare for zoonotic outbreaks.
  • The panel will guide the development of a dynamic new research agenda and draw up evidence-based recommendations for global, regional, national, and local action.
  • The panel's work is expected to contribute to advancing the One Health agenda, helping to better understand the root causes of disease emergence and spread, and informing decision-makers to prevent long-term public health risks.

Statistics:

  • Three-quarters of all emerging infectious diseases originate in animals.
  • 12 November 2020: The Alliance for Multilateralism organized a meeting of the meeting of the Paris Peace Forum, where France and Germany proposed the creation of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel.

Sources:

  • United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
  • World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • Statement by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
  • Statement by Dr. QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
  • Statement by Dr. Monique Eloit, Director-General of the World Organisation for Animal Health
  • Statement by Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP
  • Statement by Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France
  • Statement by Mr. Heiko Maas, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Germany