GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

Zoonotic diseases, which result from cross-species transmission of pathogens between animals and humans, appear to emerge more frequently and pose significant threats to the health and welfare of people across the planet. The high risks of these infectious diseases demonstrate the need for a real paradigm shift: preventing the emergence and spread of infectious zoonotic diseases by focusing on the root causes and underlying mechanisms potentially linked to biodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystems and improving their prediction and early detection.

The better understanding of these interlinkages will help to establish better prediction and early detection systems, will enhance the coordination between all relevant stakeholders, ensure fast information sharing and early response and hence reduce the spread of zoonotic diseases.

The topic should contribute to better understanding the biodiversity – health nexus and help towards an enhanced integration of biodiversity parameters and monitoring with the One Health approach.

The development of methods and identification of indicators to monitor the relevant biodiversity parameters will be essential as well as the establishment of baselines of these parameters.

The mitigation strategies in relation to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation to be proposed should take into consideration all the aforementioned information and findings. The better understanding of the socio-economic and behavioural factors, as well as the involvement of local communities and environmental, animal and human health stakeholders is crucial for the preparation of these strategies.

To achieve the expected outcomes, the following also need to be ensured:

• Coherence and coordination with the European Partnership for pandemic preparedness, the European Partnership for One Health/AMR Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and the European Partnership for Animal Health and Welfare (PAHW).
• Opportunities for cooperation with relevant European or international Agencies and initiatives, such as European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), European Economic Area (EEA), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Agency (HERA), One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP), One Sustainable Health, EU4Health actions (in particular One Health Surveillance), Preventing Zoonotic Disease Emergence (PREZODE), Ecohealth Alliance, etc.