Global technical meeting on MERS-CoV and other emerging zoonotic coronaviruses

Global technical meeting on MERS-CoV and other emerging zoonotic coronaviruses
Author: Aguanno, R., Al Ariqi, L., Elkholy, A.A., Gardner, E., Grant, R., Pavade, G., von Dobschuetz, S., D. Van Kerkhove, M., Aguanno, R., Al Ariqi, L., Elkholy, A.A., Gardner, E., Grant, R., Pavade, G., Von Dobschuetz, S., Van Kerkhove, M.D.
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2022-09-29
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9251367841

Over the last nine years, FAO, WHO and WOAH have worked with Member States, public health professionals and experts across multiple sectors and technical disciplines to improve preparedness and response capacities for MERS-CoV and other high threat zoonotic pathogens around the world. This work continues to bring together public health and animal health experts from affected and at-risk countries, scientists, and subject matter experts of high threat respiratory pathogens to review the latest scientific evidence on MERS-CoV and improve multi-sectoral collaboration. As a follow-up to previous technical meetings on MERS-CoV hosted by FAO, WHO and WOAH, a Global Technical Meeting was convened virtually on 15-16 November 2021 to share the latest findings from accelerated efforts to implement the MERS-CoV public health research agenda and research and development (R&D) road map, in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This documents presents a summary of the presentations and discussions.

Emerging Viral Diseases

Emerging Viral Diseases
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2015-03-19
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309314003

In the past half century, deadly disease outbreaks caused by novel viruses of animal origin - Nipah virus in Malaysia, Hendra virus in Australia, Hantavirus in the United States, Ebola virus in Africa, along with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), several influenza subtypes, and the SARS (sudden acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) coronaviruses - have underscored the urgency of understanding factors influencing viral disease emergence and spread. Emerging Viral Diseases is the summary of a public workshop hosted in March 2014 to examine factors driving the appearance, establishment, and spread of emerging, re-emerging and novel viral diseases; the global health and economic impacts of recently emerging and novel viral diseases in humans; and the scientific and policy approaches to improving domestic and international capacity to detect and respond to global outbreaks of infectious disease. This report is a record of the presentations and discussion of the event.

Global technical consultation on the strategic framework for early warning of animal health threats

Global technical consultation on the strategic framework for early warning of animal health threats
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org. [Author] [Author]
Total Pages: 72
Release: 2024-05-30
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9251387265

Effective early warning systems provide the capacity to generate and disseminate timely and meaningful warning information to enable individuals, communities and organizations threatened by a hazard to prepare and to act appropriately and in sufficient time to reduce the possibility of harm or loss. [Author] To support countries in the prevention and management of losses caused by animal diseases the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is working to develop a strategic framework for early warning (EW) of animal health threats. [Author] FAO organized a global technical consultation to gather expertise across various health sectors and inform development of the framework. [Author] The meeting was attended by more than 70 participants, gathering expertise form animal, public and environmental health at various geographical levels. [Author] Through a series of brainstorming sessions, experts outlined concrete priority actions and targets that can be put in place in order to strengthen EWS in the short term, move towards anticipatory systems in the medium term, and finally, in the long term, build systems that are focused on prevention. [Author] This report summarizes the main discussions and conclusions. [Author]

Global consultation on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)

Global consultation on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 62
Release: 2023-08-28
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9251380600

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a severe and highly contagious disease that has severe impacts on animal and human health, livelihoods, and the economy. At the time of the consultation, the recent panzootic had affected more than 70 countries and territories, resulting in over 11 000 disease events in both wild and domestic bird populations. The disease has also spilled over to several mammalian species, including humans, and may result in severe ecological and biodiversity consequences. Considering the alarming spread of HPAI and the evolution of avian influenza in wild birds, The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and Network of Expertise on Animal Influenza (OFFLU) brought together the global scientific community to review the latest science and evidence on the disease, to support development/implementation of disease prevention and control strategies and policies and contribute to global efforts towards reducing pandemic risk. The report summarizes the meeting discussions, and key recommendations to reduce the transmission of HPAI along the poultry value chains, and the spillover risk to humans and wildlife. The meeting report will contribute to revising the FAO-WOAH global control strategy for HPAI and developing evidence-based policies and research agendas to tackle the disease. Sharing the meeting report with technical experts and policy makers will help support the development of a research and development agenda to tackle HPAI globally.

Global consultation on African swine fever

Global consultation on African swine fever
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org. [Author] [Author]
Total Pages: 64
Release: 2024-07-03
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 925138925X

African swine fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease of domestic and wild pigs. The disease has recently become one of the major global concerns for the livestock sector. While eradication remains a distant goal in several endemic countries, updated and science based control strategies are important for mitigating risks and reducing the socio-economic impact of the disease, for protecting the livelihoods of the most vulnerable along the value chain and for ensuring business continuity for the pork industry. To support countries in their endeavor to manage the ASF risk, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), in collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), has brought together ASF experts, risk managers, and private sector representatives to provide latest scientific knowledge and consult on recommendations for updated, more effective and sustainable disease management approaches. The consultation was held in FAO HQ in Rome on 12-14 December 2023 and was attended by more than 200 participants in person and online. Key recommendations include addressing human behavior along the value chain; updating international strategies based on scientific evidence; promoting passive surveillance in domestic pigs and wild boars; finding innovative ways for improving biosecurity along the value chain by understanding motivations, disincentives and incentives; foster collaboration between stakeholders and engage the private sector; carefully assess vaccination options; explore the possibility of partial culling; promote and further develop costing tools for better preparedness and economic estimations; promote compartmentalization and regionalization/zoning while working on improved trade strategies.

How to Prevent the Next Pandemic

How to Prevent the Next Pandemic
Author: Bill Gates
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2022-05-03
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 0593534492

Governments, businesses, and individuals around the world are thinking about what happens after the COVID-19 pandemic. Can we hope to not only ward off another COVID-like disaster but also eliminate all respiratory diseases, including the flu? Bill Gates, one of our greatest and most effective thinkers and activists, believes the answer is yes. The author of the #1 New York Times best seller How to Avoid a Climate Disaster lays out clearly and convincingly what the world should have learned from COVID-19 and what all of us can do to ward off another catastrophe like it. Relying on the shared knowledge of the world’s foremost experts and on his own experience of combating fatal diseases through the Gates Foundation, Gates first helps us understand the science of infectious diseases. Then he shows us how the nations of the world, working in conjunction with one another and with the private sector, how we can prevent a new pandemic from killing millions of people and devastating the global economy. Here is a clarion call—strong, comprehensive, and of the gravest importance.

Taking a Multisectoral One Health Approach : A Tripartite Guide to Addressing Zoonotic Diseases in Countries

Taking a Multisectoral One Health Approach : A Tripartite Guide to Addressing Zoonotic Diseases in Countries
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 166
Release: 2019-03-11
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9251312362

The 2018 FAO-OIE-WHO (Tripartite) zoonoses guide, “Taking A Multisectoral, One Health Approach: A Tripartite Guide to Addressing Zoonotic Diseases in Countries” (2018 TZG) is being jointly developed to provide member countries with practical guidance on OH approaches to build national mechanisms for multisectoral coordination, communication, and collaboration to address zoonotic disease threats at the animal-human-environment interface. The 2018 TZG updates and expands on the guidance in the one previous jointly-developed, zoonoses-specific guidance document: the 2008 Tripartite “Zoonotic Diseases: A Guide to Establishing Collaboration between Animal and Human Health Sectors at the Country Level”, developed in WHO South-East Asia Region and Western Pacific Region. The 2018 TZG supports building by countries of the resilience and capacity to address emerging and endemic zoonotic diseases such as avian influenza, rabies, Ebola, and Rift Valley fever, as well as food-borne diseases and antimicrobial resistance, and to minimize their impacts on health, livelihoods, and economies. It additionally supports country efforts to implement WHO International Health Regulations (2005) and OIE international standards, to address gaps identified through external and internal health system evaluations, and to achieve targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2018 TZG provides relevant country ministries and agencies with lessons learned and good practices identified from country-level experiences in taking OH approaches for preparedness, prevention, detection and response to zoonotic disease threats, and provides guidance on multisectoral communication, coordination, and collaboration. It informs on regional and country-level OH activities and relevant unisectoral and multisectoral tools available for countries to use.

Reducing methane emissions in livestock systems in Asia and the Pacific – Enhancing national climate actions through the Global Methane Pledge

Reducing methane emissions in livestock systems in Asia and the Pacific – Enhancing national climate actions through the Global Methane Pledge
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 64
Release: 2023-06-15
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 9251379297

This report highlightes outcomes and recommendations provided during the FAO regional expert workshop “Enhancing national climate actions to reduce methane emissions in livestock systems in Asia and the Pacific”. The regional workshop was designed to help countries in Asia and the Pacific identify new opportunities to reduce methane emissions from livestock systems in the region. The report illustrates best practices, solutions and ideas shared by countries and livestock stakeholders in Asia and the Pacific to achieve ambitious climate targets.

Stakeholder engagement in enhancing national climate actions in livestock systems in Kenya

Stakeholder engagement in enhancing national climate actions in livestock systems in Kenya
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org. [Author] [Author]
Total Pages: 56
Release: 2024-06-25
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9251388873

Livestock is crucial to Kenya's economy and socio-cultural practices, but it also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Climate-smart agriculture and sustainable livestock management practices can help Kenya achieve its climate change targets and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while ensuring food and nutrition security. This report presents the key outcomes and recommendations of a national stakeholder workshop FAO organized in December 2022 to address climate change in Kenya's livestock sector.

Global Health and the Future Role of the United States

Global Health and the Future Role of the United States
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2017-10-05
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309457637

While much progress has been made on achieving the Millenium Development Goals over the last decade, the number and complexity of global health challenges has persisted. Growing forces for globalization have increased the interconnectedness of the world and our interdependency on other countries, economies, and cultures. Monumental growth in international travel and trade have brought improved access to goods and services for many, but also carry ongoing and ever-present threats of zoonotic spillover and infectious disease outbreaks that threaten all. Global Health and the Future Role of the United States identifies global health priorities in light of current and emerging world threats. This report assesses the current global health landscape and how challenges, actions, and players have evolved over the last decade across a wide range of issues, and provides recommendations on how to increase responsiveness, coordination, and efficiency â€" both within the U.S. government and across the global health field.