6 Jul 2023
The Action for Animal Health Coalition has hosted an event in Parliament to urge the Government to commit more resources to animal health protection to prevent another human pandemic.
Allister Webb
Job Title
An international group calling for increased investment in global animal health services to help prevent future human pandemics has taken its message to Westminster.
A reception was held in Parliament on Tuesday 4 July to formally launch the report by the Action for Animal Health (A4AH) Coalition, which was originally published earlier this year.
The event was sponsored by former Green Party leader Baroness Bennett, who believes the report’s findings must be acted on by policymakers.
She said: “It is high time that society at large recognised what scientists have been saying for decades now: there is only one health.
“By strengthening animal health care systems, and addressing the planetary ills of pollution and biodiversity loss, we protect our own human health.
“Ensuring a high standard of animal health globally is key to eliminating zoonotic spillover events that devastate human communities and result in vast quantities of medical waste.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and I commend A4AH for the work they are doing to carry this banner.”
Officials from Defra and the Foreign Office were among the guests at the event
A4AH, which was formed by the equine charity Brooke two years ago, argues that increased investment in staff, improved access to medicines and better surveillance can reduce the risk posed to humans by zoonoses.
It is estimated that more than three-quarters of all new infectious diseases within humans, including Ebola and coronavirus, originated in animals and the coalition argues investment should particularly focus on poorer countries, which have fewer resources to tackle the problem.
Groups including the World Veterinary Association, VSF International and Compassion in World Farming are among the coalition’s members.
