On the 11th of July 2024, the Dominican Republic signed PREZODE’s Declaration of Intent, becoming the 27th country member of the Initiative.
With the Dominican Republic joining, the Caribbeans and Central America account for a great representation in the Initiative. In the region, the countries or territories members include Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, Antigua, and Saint Eustatius. The United Kingdom and France, also PREZODE members, are represented in the region by other overseas territories (1).
Mesoamerica (Central America and southern Mexico) and the Caribbean are two of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, including the world’s second-largest reef. The region is home to a diversity of indigenous peoples that protect and coexist with natural resources. With less than 2% of the world’s territory, it accounts for 12% of the world’s biological wealth and 8% of the world’s mangroves. The Caribbean islands are one of the largest endemic biodiversity centers in the world, including the uniqueness of 50 percent of its plant life due to its geography and climate (1).
PREZODE will help improve prevention and preparedness to zoonotic disease emergence in the region. The Caribbean is facing common risks in terms of animal and human emerging and/or vector-borne diseases (classical swine fever, African swine fever, Avian influenza, dengue, West Nile fever), but also natural disasters (hurricanes, volcano eruption…), and biodiversity losses.
- French overseas territories: Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guyana. British territories: Anguilla, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands the Virgin Islands.
- Data IUCN https://www.iucn.org/fr/our-work/region/mexico-central-america-and-caribbean