27 Sept 2023
The Action for Animal Health Coalition has welcomed a new global commitment to prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics, but warned it won’t be enough without continuing progress.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Image © mrallen / Adobe Stock
Animal health campaigners have welcomed a new global agreement on planning for and responding to future human pandemics – but warned it must lead to meaningful action from individual states.
The Action for Animal Health (A4AH) coalition described the Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, adopted at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, as a step forward.
The 13-page document commits its signatories to “scale up our efforts to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response”.
It also recognises “the value of an integrated one health approach that fosters cooperation between the human health, animal health and plant health, as well as environmental and other relevant sectors”.
A4AH officials say a one health approach is essential to preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases from animals to people and hope the new declaration will lead to the development of a broader pandemic accord with specific requirements in that area.
Group chair Laura Skippen said the commitments made in the declaration now need to be translated into meaningful action to prevent a future pandemic.
She said: “The next pandemic is likely to come from animals. To prevent this, animal, human and environmental sectors need to come together under the one health umbrella.
“For a one health approach to be successful, member states need to fix the gaps in animal health systems – which have long suffered the consequences of inattention and underinvestment.“
She added: “Shortages of skilled animal professionals, weak surveillance systems and poor access to animal health services as well as veterinary medicines and vaccines, leave the door wide open to outbreaks of zoonotic disease and antimicrobial resistance.
“While we congratulate member states on agreeing to this declaration, we urge them to turn these on-paper commitments into action to prevent the next pandemic.”
The declaration also calls for a major summit on pandemic preparedness to be convened in New York in 2026.
