(This text was published in the English version of Le Monde on April 7, 2025. Read the French version here https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2025/04/07/l-accord-international-sur-les-pandemies-ne-doit-pas-manquer-son-objectif_6592314_1650684.html)

Two-thirds of emerging diseases and nearly all recent pandemics originate from the transmission of animal-borne pathogens to humans. The number and frequency of these spillovers are increasing, largely due to human activities that disrupt ecosystems – such as land-use change, biodiversity loss, wildlife exploitation, and deforestation. The One Health approach proposes coordinated prevention efforts across human, animal, and environmental health sectors. Today, it is widely recognized by experts, international institutions, and WHO member states as an essential pillar for effective pandemic prevention, with broader benefits for ecosystem health as a whole.

One Health prevention measures require investments that are estimated to be a hundred times lower than the economic impact of pandemics. These facts are well documented. Yet the international response remains fragmented, and the integration of this approach into national and international policy frameworks is still insufficient – despite scientific consensus, years of advocacy, and growing institutional engagement.

As negotiations for the International Agreement on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response near completion under WHO's leadership, we –researchers, policymakers, and actors engaged in the development of this new global instrument – are calling on the international community not to miss this moment: The agreement must make prevention a concrete priority, grounded in operational One Health governance at every level, from local to global.

World Health Assembly in May 2025

While some delegations have voiced concerns about the scope of their commitments, others stress the need to uphold the agreement's ambition. In this delicate balance, it is crucial to avoid weakening the text or postponing key provisions, particularly through a still-uncertain annex. In over 70 countries studied – including many low- and middle-income countries –the One Health approach has already been institutionalized through platforms, committees, and strategic plans, offering a strong foundation for enhanced intersectoral collaboration. Enshrining this positive momentum in the treaty would ensure that prevention efforts are translated into operational measures, thereby strengthening global resilience to health threats.

We therefore call on member states to: Successfully conclude the negotiations by the World Health Assembly in May 2025, resulting in what could become the very first international, legally binding agreement rooted in the One Health approach. This would mark a historic turning point and signal a collective commitment to ambitious, integrated, and equitable prevention.

We ask them to fully recognize and promote the importance and transformative

potential of the One Health approach within the Pandemic Agreement and to embed it in national priorities, moving beyond a narrow focus on global zoonotic threats. Prevention will only be effective if it also responds to the specific needs of countries, their health systems, and their populations.

Not a luxury, nor an optional extra

It is also essential to commit to strengthening regional collaboration by building on the expertise of One Health "champion countries." These pioneering countries must play a leading role in inspiring and supporting their neighbors through ambitious regional cooperation. They will need to ensure sustainable funding for prevention strategies and actions, integrated into national budgets while also mobilizing international support especially for low-income countries. Instruments like the Pandemic Fund can both reinforce national capacities and promote country ownership and longterm sustainability.

Finally, we call on member states to base decisions on robust and up-to-date scientific evidence. Political choices must be grounded in facts, not in partial perceptions or preconceived ideas. In global health, perhaps more than anywhere else, international action must be informed by a nuanced understanding of national contexts, operational levels, and local constraints. Only then can commitments be truly relevant, adapted, and operational.

The pandemic agreement must reflect a core truth: Prevention is not a luxury, nor an optional extra – it is a cornerstone of equity and global health security. It must be implemented in times of peace, maintained over the long term, and supported by a fully intersectoral One Health governance structure aligned with country priorities and tailored to realities on the ground. Without this, One Health risks remaining an unfulfilled promise, and pandemic prevention will not be possible at the earliest stages – before people and their communities are affected. To protect populations, we must act upstream, with clarity, solidarity, and responsibility.

Signatories

Papa Serigne Seck, President General Assembly, PREZODE initiative

Josef Pfabigan, CEO, FOUR PAWS (VIER PROFTEN International)

Alexandra L Phelan, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

Elisabeth Claverie de Saint-Martin, CEO of the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD);

Philippe Mauguin, CEO of French National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRAE);

Valérie Verdier, CEO of the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD);

Josef Settele, co-chair of the global assessment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental

Research-UFZ;

Nina Jamal, head on pandemic strategies at Four Paws (Vier Pfoten International);

Tricia Croasdell, CEO of World Animal Protection;

Hope Ferdowsian, MD, MPH, Phoenix Zones Initiative;

Marisa Peyre, co-founder of PREZODE initiative, deputy director of the Animals health-Territories-Risks-Ecosytems (ASTRE) unit at CIRAD;

Lourdes Jiménez Mora, Proyecto ARPA;

Mark Jones, head of policy of Born Free Foundation;

Susan Lieberman, vice president for international policy of Wildlife Conservation Society;

Teresa Pegger-Baur, programme manager at Four Paws (Vier Pfoten International);

Katherine Urbáez, Health Diplomacy Alliance;

Esme Wheeler, Action for Animal Health;

James Yeates, CEO of World Federation of Animals.

Full list of signatories: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-5OmBdEmQgfCwKPSm23XP4oODu8EOXXr/view