Quadripartite One Health Seminar for Europe and Central Asia
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) was pleased to actively engage in the Regional One Health Seminar, jointly organized by the Quadripartite partners (FAO, WOAH, UNEP, WHO), which took place from 11th to 13th June 2024 at the Veterinary University of Vienna, Austria.
The seminar brought together representatives from the public health, animal health, and environmental health sectors across Europe and Central Asia. Participants discussed and identified opportunities and best practices for implementing One Health approaches to address health threats originating at the human-animal-environment interface. Read more
Participants at the Quadripartite One Health Seminar for Europe and Central Asia in Vienna
WCS was represented by Arnaud Goessens, Associate Director of EU Policy (WCS EU Office), who presented WCS Global, the WCS Health programme, and our main objectives and One Health activities in Europe and Central Asia. He emphasised that decision-makers, scientists, and practitioners need to take action on the environmental pillar of the One Health approach, building capacity within the existing administrative units and associated workflows, and breaking down silos for cross-sectoral collaboration.
Arnaud Goessens, WCS EU Office, presenting at the Quadripartite One Health Seminar for Europe and Central Asia in Vienna
The COVID-19 pandemic, but also other disease outbreaks of animal origin such as SARS and Ebola, and their dramatic societal and economic costs show the importance of applying a One Health approach across sectors, as a matter of urgency.
The science is clear that pandemics of zoonotic origin are directly related to the increased human/wildlife interface caused by land-use change, in particular the destruction of high-integrity ecosystems, deforestation, and forest degradation; and the role of urban markets in live wild birds and mammals and wildlife farm. Recent studies show that the single most effective and cost-effective way to prevent pandemics is to avoid pathogen spillover to humans, wildlife, and other animals in the first place, referred to as pandemic prevention at source.
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WCS and One Health
Pandemic prevention at source
Links between Ecological Integrity and Human Health
Best Practices to Confront Pandemics at the Source
WCS Recommendations to Reduce Pandemic Risk