“Taking part in the Steering Committee is a rare opportunity to shape global approaches to pandemic prevention at their source.”
Interview with Lucy Keatts, Senior One Health Advisor, Wildlife Conservation Society, and current member of PREZODE’s Steering Committee.
Why is being a part of PREZODE important to you?
PREZODE’s preventive approach addresses a fundamental gap in global health security architecture. Unlike reactive pandemic preparedness initiatives, which still dominate, the Initiative is intended to tackle the underlying drivers of disease emergence—including land use change, wildlife trade, agricultural intensification, and climate change—through evidence-based interventions at human-animal-ecosystem interfaces.
Beyond health security, PREZODE fosters critical international scientific cooperation and diplomatic relationships, which are essential to support cross-border collaborations needed to prevent pandemics. The initiative also creates a framework for harmonizing research efforts across countries and disciplines, with an important goal of reducing duplication while accelerating knowledge generation about zoonotic risks at a time when funding resources are increasingly strained.
Why would I encourage experts to apply to the Steering Committee?
Taking part in the Steering Committee is a rare opportunity to shape global approaches to pandemic prevention at their source. As climate change, biodiversity loss, and human expansion into wildlife habitats accelerate, PREZODE’s integrated approach to preventing the next pandemic at its source represents not just an important initiative, but an essential one for global health security and sustainable development. Practical insights from experts on implementation challenges can ensure PREZODE’s strategies are realistic and adaptable across diverse contexts. The SC provides a collaborative platform where experts from around the world can form valuable cross-disciplinary relationships and their voices can directly influence resource allocation and strategic priorities.
Practical insights from experts on implementation challenges can ensure PREZODE’s strategies are realistic and adaptable across diverse contexts.
What does the role entail?
Serving on PREZODE’s Steering Committee involves quarterly strategic meetings to guide program priorities and evaluate progress against zoonotic disease prevention goals. Responsibilities include providing civil society perspectives on research and implementation needs, opportunities, and challenges, and contributing to strategic plans, position papers, proposals, and publications. If combined with participating in a scientific working group -which is my case-, the role requires approximately 8-10 hours monthly, including meeting preparation; consideration, planning, and action on strategic approaches, shared goals, and concrete outputs; review and editing of relevant internal and external documents and publications; and participation in virtual meetings.
PREZODE represents one of the first major international initiatives specifically focused on preventing—rather than just responding to—zoonotic disease emergence at its source. In a world where over 75% emerging human pathogens have a zoonotic origin and COVID-19 caused over 7 million deaths and trillions in economic damage, PREZODE’s preventive approach addresses a fundamental gap in global health security architecture.