Cali, Colombia, Oct. 28, 2024 – Governments at the United Nations biodiversity meeting are poised to take an important step to integrate health and conservation and lessen the chances of future deadly pandemics of zoonotic origin, with the adoption of the Global Action Plan for Biodiversity and Health at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 16).

At CBD COP16, WCS, which has provided scientific and technical input throughout the process, is urging Parties to adopt a strong and concrete Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health.

Said Joe Walston, executive vice president of WCS Global:
“The three man-made existential crises of our day are climate change, biodiversity collapse and the persistent threat of epidemics and pandemics of zoonotic origin. These crises are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. The destruction of nature is at the nexus of these crises and so making peace with nature is the nexus of the solution. Specifically, conserving and restoring ecological integrity—i.e. the ‘health’—of any system is critical to making it more resilient to climate change pressures, preventing pathogen release and ensuring that nature retains its intrinsic and extrinsic values to people and the planet."

Said Dr. Susan Lieberman, Vice President international policy at WCS:
“Four plus years since COVID-19 killed millions, the world’s governments have yet to take important collective action to prevent zoonotic spillovers. There can be no health without biodiversity. The Global Action Plan for Biodiversity and Health will be a breakthrough moment for the health of our planet—affecting humans, wildlife and ecosystems. Ecosystem degradation and loss of ecological integrity directly threaten human and animal (wildlife and domestic) health. The One Health approach, which is integrated in the draft Global Action Plan for Biodiversity and Health, recognizes these interconnections and interdependencies between ecosystem, animal, and human health and is essential for effective biodiversity conservation. Through the One Health approach and implementation of this Action Plan, WCS commits to increase our work with our government, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and other partners in order to fully ensure that health concerns are integrated into biodiversity conservation strategies .”

Dr. Chris Walzer, executive director of WCS Global Health said:
"We are currently witnessing the spread of Avian Influenza, Mpox, and Marburg virus disease. A new deadly pandemic is imminent unless governments take decisive, preventive action. The ongoing degradation of nature is driving interdependent crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and systemic health declines, endangering ecosystems, economies, and societies. Protecting biodiversity is critical to public health, and primary prevention must be at the forefront. The One Health approach—first shared by WCS in 2004—must be integrated into biodiversity conservation strategies and global health policies to proactively address these intertwined threats."

A review of all WCS positions at CBD COP16 can be found here: https://www.wcs.org/cbd-cop16

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