Dear {name},

Our secretariat member Johannes will be representing the Alliance at the Planetary Health Summit and 6th Annual Meeting (PHAM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 16-19 April. This year, four Focus Areas have been identified: Governance, Communications, Education and Business.

Let us know if you are going to be there and meet him!

The Alliance Secretariat has coordinated the submission of a collective document for the peer-review process of the 'Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health' to the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). We want to thank everyone who has taken their time to submit comments and suggestions to deepen and foster the understanding and integration of One Health aspects and primary prevention in the context of health risks in wildlife trade and beyond.

If you encounter other processes where the Alliance can contribute through collective efforts and knowledge, please feel free to contact the Secretariat for support and coordination.

Pro Wildlife and its four partner organizations from Liberia, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Zambia presented on Transnational African Zoonosis Education Campaign (ZEC) during the Alliance's 'Voices from the Ground' Event on February 1, 2024. The ZEC integrates a One Health approach that is implemented in the four African countries. Before the start of the education campaigns, the german wildlife conservation organization Pro Wildlife has worked on the establishment of scientific foundations and background of zoonotic risks in the four project countries. These results have been communicated subsequently to the public through the partnering rescue centers and their education campaigns. During the Event, speakers from each country presented on successes and challenges they have encountered during their campaigns.

We are delighted to announce that we will have a very special event format on March 21, 2024. Together with Hongying Li and Nghiem Trang from EcoHealth Alliance we will offer you an interactive workshop for even more in-depth dialogue and joint brainstorming to develop approaches to integrate social and behavioural science into zoonotic risk mitigation. People in either conservation or zoonotic disease areas have been talking about integrating behavioural and social science in the research and implementation, but it has not been very well operationalised in terms of incorporating the methodology, learning experience from relevant implementors, or actual piloting. With an inderdisciplinary group of members and a focus on both health risks and wildlife trade, the Alliance provides a platform to exchange knowledge and discuss the ways to put this into action in the connected areas.

Read more about this event and add it to your calendar here

Many of you might have noticed that the Steering Committee interim elections are currently taking place. The Steering Committee is still to fill four vacant seats and the Secretariat is looking forward to welcoming new Steering Committee members and continuing the work of the Alliance with new perspectives.

The Secretariat will inform registered members of the results soon.

Several scientists from the Alliance's member organisation CIFOR (Center for Forestry Research) were involved in the creation and publication of the paper 'A systematic mapping review of links between handling wild meat and zoonotic diseases'. The researchers systematically mapped the literature on wild meat handling and zoonotic transmission based on geographical as well as language distribution of publications. Further aspects such as the identification of specific pathogens, corresponding control measures, as well as which recommendations were made for the transfer of scientific findings into policy, were included in the analysis.

The Lancet-PPATS (Preventing Pandemics at the Source) Commission on Prevention of Viral Spillover recently co-published an article in The Lancet commenting on the draft of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, which was presented in October 2023, takes too little account of primary pandemic prevention. The Alliance Secretariat endorses the publication and wants to thank Alliance member Niger Sizer and all of his engaged colleagues for forwarding the message of the importance of the inclusion of primary pandemic prevention, especially in the context of global health equity. The authors make a clear call on the member states to revisit the understanding and use of the term prevention, One Health and economic investment in prevention, as well as on the procedure of the inclusion of low and middle-income countries within the negotiations to ensure equal participation and outcomes.

Unlocking urgent climate action by making the health effects of climate change visible

The objective of this programme is to increase awareness of the effects of climate change on both physical and mental well-being, in order to prompt widespread and immediate action on climate policy. The Wellcome Trust intends to support interdisciplinary groups to execute brief, impactful initiatives that optimize policy results through a combination of evidence gathering, policy examination, participatory research methods, and effective communiation.

Career stage: mid-career researcher, established researcher
Where your administering organization is based: anywhere in the world (apart from mainland China)
Level of funding: up to £ 2.5 million 
Duration of funding: up to 3 years
Application deadline: 03 April 2024

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.