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Review
. 2022 Sep 13:23:100506.
doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100506. eCollection 2022 Dec.

A call to prioritise prevention: Action is needed to reduce the risk of zoonotic disease emergence

Sarah Shanks  1 , May Ci van Schalkwyk  2 , Andrew A Cunningham  1
Affiliations
Review

A call to prioritise prevention: Action is needed to reduce the risk of zoonotic disease emergence

Sarah Shanks et al. Lancet Reg Health Eur. .

Abstract

Anthropogenic changes to the environment are facilitating the spread of animal pathogens into human populations. A global focus on detecting and containing emerging infectious diseases has deflected from the need for upstream prevention measures to reduce the risk of pathogen emergence. The drivers of infectious disease emergence have predominantly been considered as environmental and conservation issues and not as risks to human health. There is an opportunity for the UK to take a leadership position on this complex issue. This will require the establishment and maintenance of effective governance and policy mandates. Novel ways of policymaking are needed urgently to achieve three key aims: coordination and collaboration across sectors and government departments, the inclusion of diverse expertise, and the prioritisation of measures directed at prevention.

Keywords: Emerging infectious diseases; One Health; Pandemic prevention; Public health; Zoonotic disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

AAC is a member of the WHO/FAO/OIE/UNEP One Health High Level Expert Panel https://www.who.int/groups/one-health-high-level-expert-panel, a member of the Centre for European Policy Studies Expert Working Group on alternative configurations for the institutional design of the European Health Emergency preparedness and Response Authority, and a member of the Eklipse Expert Working Group on Biodiversity and Pandemics https://eklipse.eu/request-biodiversity-pandemics/. SS has previously worked for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

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