Dear {name},

A new round of elections for the Steering Committee is upcoming. Two seats have remained vacant ('Governmental Representative' and 'Indigenous Representative') since the 2022 elections and two more seats will become available ('Anthropology, psychology, behavioural & social sciences' and 'Africa').

For this reason, the Secretariat is preparing an election process for mid-February.

Further information will be sent to Alliance members by email.

The Alliance's second introductory event for interested organisations and individuals, new and old Alliance members is taking place on January 23, 2024. Join us to get deeper insights into the work, membership, and upcoming events of the International Alliance against Health Risks in Wildlife Trade, and have all your questions answered. The event is scheduled from 15:00 - 15:45 CEST.

The Alliance is delighted to introduce three new members:

• Miss Alice Brandt has a background in politics and economics of the Near and Middle East. She collected extensive experience over the last years working in Guatemala and on sanitary issues in Jordan. She will be supporting the Consultation Facility
• Dr. Beate Henrichfreise is am microbiologist by training, has worked at the University of Bonn, and engaged with zoonoses research throughout the last years. She will be supporting the Consultation Facility
• Miss Ann-Kristin Konzak has a background in the Humanities and Global Political Economy, and within the Alliance Secretariat she will be responsible for communications and community management

A warm welcome and the Secretariat is excited to start the new year with full power!

The EcoHealth Summit 2023 covered a 24-hour conversation inviting experts from all over the world. Panelist discussed their reflections on what a 'healthy, just and sustainable future' means and how the conceptual understanding of One Health as well as EcoHealth contributes to achieving future health, justice and sustainability. The Alliance Secretariat had the chance to present the work of the Alliance as one of the initiatives that supports the common goal of a 'healthy, just and sustainable future'. To find out more about other initiatives, have a look at the padlet.

Veterinarians Without Borders e.V. (ToGeV) and Help - Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe organised a transdisciplinary event in Berlin to mark the International One Health Day on November 7, 2023. The two organisations brought together interested parties and experts to discuss the topic of One Health in times of conflict. In a keynote speech by the Alliance Secretariat, preventive crisis management to minimise the risk of infectious diseases and biodiversity loss were discussed and the work of the International Alliance portrayed how a wide range of stakeholders can and should be involved in primary prevention.

The Alliance Secretariat and several Alliance members attended the VI Biennial Conference 'One Health: Walking together science and society' in Guatemala from November 13 - 17, 2023, organised by the Wildlife Disease Association Latin America (WDA LA). Professionals, researchers and students from Latin America passionate about wildlife health came together, Alliance members met in person for the first time, could strengthen their contacts and networks, as well as exchange and discuss new ideas for the future. The conference furthermore included sessions dedicated to the science-policy dialogue with the participation of several ministerial representatives. Alliance member and grant recipient Charité Berlin organised a stakeholder event presenting the results of their epidemiological surveillance project implemented with the Guatemalan wildlife rescue center ARCAS.

The WHO Guideline Development Group (GDG) met in Amsterdam at the end of November 2023 to work on the update of the interim guidance on reducing public health risks associated with the sale of live wild animals of mammalian species in traditional food markets. During the meeting, the Alliance Secretariat was invited as an observer to present its work and contribute thematically to the overall framework. We are also pleased to announce that the Secretariat will be able to contribute to the overall drafting process of the guidance. The Secretariat team will keep you updated on this process.

TRAFFIC and the One Health Collaborating Centre (OHCC) of the Udayana University Indonesia presented their work to the Alliance community on December 12, 2023, and January 10, 2024. Daniel Mdetele and Qudra Kagembe from TRAFFIC disscused the project in Tanzania on reducing risks in Tanzania's Game Meat Industry. TRAFFIC works on developing a One Health model for safe, sustainable and legal supply.
Head of the OHCC Prof Dr. Sri Budayanti and OHCC Program Manager Semara Yanti presented on their project which focuses on children's ecudation on the health risks and threats posed by wildlife trade, consumption and the interaction between humans and wildlife. Five storybooks in five different native languages have been created, launched through a storytelling event in the five selected regions around Indonesia.

You can find the recording of both events in the Members Area, as well as the responses to the unanswered questions during the Q&A of the event with TRAFFIC.

One Health by ScienceDirect is releasing a Special Issue on Wildlife Trade and One Health. The call for papers invites the submission of research done on health-related aspects along the wildlife trade spectrum, looking at the interface between humans, wild species as well as domesticated animals and the environment. The papers may specifically focus on multifaceted aspects of wildlife trade management, be informative regarding practical solutions and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, and discuss the implementation and elaboration of holistic risk management approaches regarding health aspects in wildlife trade on different levels. 

The Alliance co-hosted the launch of the Quadripartite's One Health Joint Plan of Action (JPA) in 2021. At COP28 2023 in Dubai, the Quadripartite released the One Health JPA Implementation Guide. As the gap between science and implementation remains, the Alliance Secretariat endorses the guide. Creating a better understanding on how to put One Health into practice in different contexts, geographically, culturally as well as economically and socially, is essential for primary pevention and the health of ecosystems, humans and animals.

The Alliance is all about giving your work more visibility and connect different stakeholders that can thrive from each other’s expertise. Here is how to get active:

1. News Centre

Showcase your content by submitting blog posts, research, and upcoming projects to the Secretariat. We encourage you to also submit your contributions in any other languages besides English.

2. Community Pitches

Share your projects, news, and events in Community Pitches! Following Alliance events, you will have the opportunity to present your pitches to the community and promote collaboration. Email us to submit your pitches (2-3 minutes max).

3. Formats

We currently have the formats “Expert Talk” and “Voices from the Ground”. Get in touch with us, if you wish to learn more about them or would like to organise an event with the Alliance.

4. Interactive Website Members Area

Discover the interactive members area on our website, where you can connect with others, request information, access event recordings, find relevant reads, and explore collaboration opportunities. Our Onboarding Video will help you to get started! Of course, you can also download our Media Kit and spread the word.

5. Project Map

Fill out the project profile and we will put you on the Project Map! Find the form here.