We focus on preventive and sustainable measures and translate the commitment, knowledge and political will of our members through a One Health approach.
The Alliance
The Alliance is an interdisciplinary network with more than 180 members combining local expertise, scientific knowledges and global reach. We are united by the aim to reduce the risks of zoonotic spillover through primary prevention with a One Health approach.
We cooperate in interdisciplinary Working Groups and fund piloting projects with our members. On international forums we use the strength of our united voice to bring health risks from wildlife trade on the agenda of professional communities and policy makers. Governments benefit from our wide range of expertise and perspectives. Members are given a platform and can expand their radius.
About 700.000 viruses in wild mammals and birds have the potential to jump over to humans.
What we do
With its numerous members, the Alliance addresses the entire wildlife trade spectrum: legal, illegal, domestic, international, wild-caught, captive-bred, live and dead – the hunting, handling, trading and consumption – context-specific and culture-sensitive.
Our impact focuses on primary prevention of zoonotic spillover: We put health risks in wildlife trade on the agenda of international processes, governments, and local communities through piloting projects, advisory services, high-level events, knowledge transfer, awareness campaigns, policy recommendations and more. We translate local knowledge and scientific evidence into concrete action. And we connect our members to enable new collaboration and partnership.
Ecosystem disturbance and wildlife exploitation increase the risk for spillover events.
Our goals
1. Substantially reducing the risks of zoonotic spillover and stepping up responses (including behavioral changes) to human and animal health risks caused by direct and indirect contact with wildlife and their products along the wildlife trade chain.
2. Enhancing international and national awareness, knowledge and policies with regard to goal 1, thus narrowing the gap between science and implementation.
Alliance membership
The membership is based on transparency, equal terms, and equal say. We acknowledge the complementarity of the very diverse actors and action fields involved. Through our combined knowledge we’ll narrow the gap between science and implementation. Global awareness, policies and practice will be improved.
With our joint action we strive to substantially reduce unnecessary health risks posed by close contact across the entire wildlife trade spectrum.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee formulates the strategic plan for the Alliance and set targets for further development and orientation. It identifies topics and priorities for the Alliance’s focus and represents the Alliance and its goals, engage and communicate with other initiatives and external partners in different fora and platforms. It was elected by all Alliance members in June 2022 for a term of three years. To ensure a true representation of the complexity and wealth of our topic and our membership, the Steering Committee is structured in designated seats as follows:
Health & microbiology
Professor Alex D. Greenwood, PhD
Head of Department of Wildlife Diseases
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
Wildlife trade, biodiversity conservation
Dr. Barbara Maas
Head of Endangered Species Conservation
NABU International
Global environmental change & big picture
Hongying Li
Senior Programs Manager & Senior Scientist
EcoHealth Alliance
Law, regulation
Dr. Susan Lieberman
Vice-President, International Policy
Wildlife Conservation Society
Anthropology, psychology, behavioral & social sciences
Jamie K. Reaser, PhD
Senior Transdisciplinary Scientist & Policy Analyst
Smithsonian Institution/ Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
Africa
Dauda Ayomide Onawola
Wildlife Veterinarian & Executive Director
One Health in Action Initiative, Nigeria
Latin America & Caribbean (shared seat)
Marcela Fresno
Assistant professor, researcher and One Health Master’s director, Universidad de Las Américas, Chile (UDLA)
Red One Health Latinoamérica, Ibero y El Caribe (OHLAIC)
Latin America & Caribbean (shared seat)
Christina Pettan-Brewer MV, DVM, MSc
Senior Veterinarian, Co-Director and Associate Professor, Department of Comparative Medicine School of Medicine
University of Washington, Seattle
Asia, Pacific & Oceania
Dr. Sandul Yasobant
Co-Lead cum Researcher
Centre for One Health Education, Research & Development (COHERD), Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPHG), India
Governmentals or governmental agencies
Chadia Wannous, PhD
One Health Senior Specialist and Global Coordinator
World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH)
Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ Representative
Bupe Ritha Banda
IPLCs working Group Chair
Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) International
Representative for Individual Members
Dr. Craig Stephen
President, McEachran Institute, Canada
Alliance Secretariat
The Alliance was initiated by the German government, and its secretariat is currently run by the GIZ | Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit in Germany. The secretariat facilitates the smooth operation of the Alliance and its progress towards the Alliance’s goals. It supports the Steering Committee in its work and serves as the Alliance central point of contact.
Dr. Michael Nagel
Head of GIZ-Program
Johannes Keil
Advisor Governance
Dr. Beate Henrichfreise
Advisor
Alice Giulia Brandt
Advisor One Health, Biodiversity and Health
Ulrike Bühler
Finance Manager
Ann-Kristin Konzak
Junior Advisor
Nora Leonie Rust
Intern
Alliance Charter and Operational Manual
The Charter outlines our mission, vision, and goals of the Alliance.
The Operational Manual outlines all technical details of our mode of operation and cooperation within the Alliance. To become a member, an applicant shall consent to both documents.
Alliance Glossary
An Alliance working group with members from various disciplines jointly composed a glossary to define commonly used terms in the context of wildlife trade and health and to ensure common language. Please use content freely, with adequate acknowledgment.