FAO in Geneva One Health Dialogue Series: “Upstream Prevention for the Emergence and Spillover of Pathogens”

Geneva - This One Health dialogue explored the synergies between One Health and wildlife health management, focusing on identifying and preventing the upstream drivers for the emergence and spillover of pathogens, based on field experience in-country.

The session benefited from the contribution of experts from FAO’s Forestry and Animal Production and Health Divisions (NFO and NSA), PREZODE (Preventing Zoonotic Disease Emergence) Initiative, country representatives from CIFOR-ICRAF (Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry), and UNEP. It was well attended, with around 300 registrations and more than 100 participants connected, including the participation of Permanent Missions and government officials in Geneva and abroad.

Julio Pinto, Animal Health Officer (One Health) at FAO, moderated the event and introduced the topic of the session, highlighting the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) definition of prevention of pathogen spillover as a shift from reactive to proactive infectious disease control, informed by biosurveillance in hosts, people, and the environment, understanding pathogen dynamics, and implementing interventions. He highlighted the need for shifting the paradigm from preparedness and response to prevention at the animal-human-ecosystem interface by addressing the drivers of spillover and disease emergence.

Sandra Ratiarison, Forestry officer at FAO, mentioned the Organization’s support to initiatives to halt ecosystem degradation and restore lands globally. She delved deeper into the Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme (SWM) that operates in 14 countries, in collaboration with national authorities and local communities.

Zeev Noga, Secretary General of the PREZODE Initiative, underscored PREZODE’s role as an evidence-based resource center for decision-making. He put forward the FAO-PREZODE Working Group to be launched in collaboration with FAO on Return on Investment (ROI) of One Health initiatives focusing on prevention of emerging zoonotic risks.

Brian Punu, One Health component coordinator of SWM Programme in Guyana at CIFOR-ICRAF, put forward the work of the National Working Group on Zoonotic Diseases Related to Wildlife in Guyana to support local communities and governmental institutions with information, analysis, and tools to assess risks and prevent outbreaks related to wildlife use.

Griffin Shanungu, coordinator of the SWM Programme in Zambia for CIFOR-ICRAF, presented the case study of Zambia, focused on developing Community Conservancies (CC) as a basis for a nested wild and domestic protein supply model that focuses on sustainable wildlife use for conservation, health, and livelihoods.

All presenters took part in an enriching panel discussion session moderated by Wondwosen Asnake Kibret, Programme Management Officer at UNEP. Sandra Ratiarison argued that investment focusing on prevention is still limited and pointed out the importance of promoting One Health surveillance at the base to improve prevention. Zeev Noga stressed the need for making scientific evidence understandable and appealing for consideration in policy development. Brian Punu identified the lack of epidemiological data, surveillance, and specific One Health regulations as major barriers. Griffin Shanungu added to these barriers the lack of funding and resources for comprehensive disease surveillance and rapid response.

In his closing remarks, Thanawat Tiensin, Director of NSA and Chief Veterinarian at FAO, highlighted the need for collaboration between different sectors to address prevention. He underscored that proactive engagement and planning during peaceful times are needed to promote prevention and ensure preparedness for future crises. He called for realistic and context-specific implementation strategies that address the unique needs of different countries and regions.