Empowering communities to shape national prevention strategies

A Call for Proactive Prevention of Zoonotic Diseases

Dr. Elsa Léger, Global Science Officer at PREZODE, delivered a statement emphasising importance of collective action:

 “the importance of incorporating into the legal framework of the future PPR Treaty a strong and proactive commitment from all stakeholders - governments, academia, civil society, communities, and the private sector to prevent the emergence of zoonotic diseases before they spill over into human populations and not just to contain the spread after the first human cases.

Concrete Steps for Zoonotic Disease Prevention

Dr. Léger highlighted several actionable strategies already being implemented by governments to mitigate the risks of zoonotic spillover:

• Identifying prevention strategies tailored to specific risks and contexts.
• Quantifying human exposure risks to zoonotic pathogens.
• Enhancing data interoperability between human and animal health sectors.

The role of funding mechanisms like the Pandemic Fund, which can support member states in adopting One Health prevention measures was underscored. Support can also come from

• Science-based initiatives through research projects, workshops,
• Operationalisation of One Health platforms, or prevention strategies.

Developping national and local surveillance systems to monitor the factors contributing to the emergence, spillover, and spillback of zoonotic diseases.

The Vital Role of Research and Communities

Dr Léger stressed the role of research as a crucial element in understanding these factors and collaborating with frontline communities.

 “Capacity building, education, and training can empower communities to prevent disease spillover and raise awareness on equity issues, as it has previously been emphasized. Equity is key and should be included in the discussions. Empowering communities would significantly shape national prevention strategies through a One Health approach. Such strategies should be tailored to each country, purpose-fit, and considerate of the specific constraints these countries face and the knowledge their communities provide.”