On the 3rd of October 2024, PREZODE hosted its second online Roundtable-Webinar. The discussions addressed the definition and assessment prospects of prevention: What lies behind the concept?
With the emergence or re-emergence of zoonosis or vector- and animal-borne infectious diseases, public health policies, all over the world, are more and more likely to promote prevention. Prevention is the core of PREZODE, as the initiative acronym stands for PREventing Zoonotic Disease Emergence. Therefore, prevention, in the system thinking approach of PREZODE, requires an understanding of all factors that allow pathogens to cross the species barrier. What lies behind the concept of prevention? How can we assess the prospects of Prevention? To discuss the topic and draw a common understanding, we organized a roundtable bringing together Dr Casey Barton Behvaresh (CDC), Dr Ana Riviere Cinnamond (PAHO), Dr Osman Dar (UK Health Security Agency), Dr Daniel Masiga (ICIPE). Pr Wim Van der Poel (Wageningen University & Research and member of the PREZODE Steering Committee) moderated the roundtable. (See their biography below).
In a recent publication, members of the OHHLEP underlined that it is crucial to clearly define “prevention of spillover” in preventing disease outbreaks, endemicity, epidemics, and pandemics, to ensure effective and prioritized actions and resource allocation. Currently, the term “prevention” is used in varying ways. It may refer to “primary prevention” – stopping human diseases from occurring altogether and avoiding localized outbreaks from spreading into larger epidemics or pandemics. It may also refer to “secondary prevention” which involves measures like early detection, vaccination, improved healthcare systems, medication, or behavior change promotion….
However, in this acceptance, does the prevention of pathogen spillover from animals to humans also include the risk of emergence?
On Epidemiology and Economics
The panelists provided answers on the mathematical foundations underlying prevention strategies and the evaluation of their effectiveness and impact.
On Sustainability
The discussions linked the prevention of zoonotic disease emergence to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addressing socioeconomic inequalities. The panel focused on solutions to balance sustainability with economic considerations, especially in agriculture and livestock management, and on the role of local communities and indigenous populations in the success of these prevention initiatives.
Speakers biography
Dr Casey Barton Behravesh, Director, One Health Office, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, Member of the One Health High-Level Experts Panel (OHHLEP)
Dr Barton Behravesh’s role is to serve as the agency’s lead for implementing a One Health approach to public health that connects human, animal, and environmental health, enabling CDC and partners to address emerging zoonotic and infectious diseases and other shared health threats at the human-animal-environment interface. CAPT Barton Behravesh is experienced in bringing together human, animal, and environmental health officials at the local, state, federal, and global levels to bridge gaps related to emerging zoonotic and infectious diseases.
During her extensive career at CDC, Dr Barton Behravesh has done everything from investigating outbreaks in the field to conducting epidemiologic research related to the prevention and control of zoonotic, foodborne, and vector-borne diseases. In her leadership role at CDC, she enjoys mentoring students and new staff to help them reach their career goals.
Dr Ana Riviere Cinnamond, Pan American Health Organization, World Health Organization Representative in Panama
A Senior public health expert with more than 20 years of experience, Dr Rivière Cinnamond holds a PhD from LSHTM (2006), a MSc from LSE (2001), specialized at AgroParisTech (2000), and a DVM (1999). She has worked for the UN system since 2002, alternating between the FAO (Italy, Chile), WHO (Cape Verde) and PAHO (Peru, USA, Panama) at regional and country levels. Her work has focused on epidemic infectious disease surveillance, early warning, prevention, control and emergency response in complex settings through data-driven analytics, modeling and AI/ML/digital
technologies to inform healthcare funding and allocation optimization mechanisms to strengthen health systems’ resilience. She provided technical cooperation to more than 35 mainly Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia. Prior to her current posting as PAHO/WHO Representative in Panama in 2022, she worked at PAHO Health Emergencies Department in Washington DC, as an Advisor for Data Management, Analytics and Products, where she was part of the COVID-19 IMST pandemic response team.
Dr Osman Dar, Consultant physician in Global Health, UK Health Security Agency and Director, One Health Project, Centre on Global Health Security, Chatham House
At the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Osman is a senior medical consultant in global public health where he works internationally to support health security capacity-building initiatives and in the design and implementation of broader health system strengthening programmes.
In his role at Chatham House, he is an Associate Fellow and was previously director of the Global Health Programme’s One Health project, an umbrella term referring to the programme’s work on zoonotic diseases, emerging infections, antimicrobial resistance, and food security.
Internationally, Osman has been a member and working group co-chair for the One Health High Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) advising WHO, OIE, FAO and UNEP on their global One Health focused strategies and activities. He is also a member of the World Bank Pandemic Fund (PF) technical advisory panel advising the PF board on the technical merits of submitted proposals.
Dr Daniel Masiga, Principal Research Scientist, and Head of the Human and Animal Health Theme at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE).
Infectious diseases biologist who studies arthropod-transmitted disease vectors and pathogens.
His research focuses on the biology of pathogens and vectors, using genomics and bioinformatics, and he uses these tools to discover emerging infectious disease threats through broad surveillance efforts in East Africa, focusing on those transmitted by ticks, mosquitoes, and sand flies. He was President of the African Society for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (ASBCB) when a partnership was established with
the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB),
Dr Masiga currently leads a postgraduate training program in East Africa, which has established MSc Bioinformatics programs at two universities. He has a strong focus on mentorship of junior scientists and students, with a strong commitment to building Africa’s capacity to lead science-based growth. He serves as a reviewer on several panels for grants, fellowships and other assessments.
Pr Wim Van der Poel (Wageningen University & Research and member of the PREZODE Steering Committee).
He is a specialist at the European College of Veterinary Microbiology (ECVM) and Coordinator of the EPIZONE European Research Group, the largest network on epizootic animal diseases research. Wim van der Poel is a researcher and an expert on veterinary virology and detection and characterization of new and emerging viruses, for more than 30 years.
Over the past few years, Wim van der Poel worked at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research and collaborated with a lot of other research groups in several One Health networks, including the One Health EJP, the Netherlands Center for One Health (NCOH), and the Global One Health Research Partnership (GOHRP). He relies on a vast network of professional experts in the specific areas of emerging and zoonotic viruses; foodborne viruses and One Health. Wim van der Poel is Doctor in veterinary medicine and has a Ph.D. degree from Utrecht University, The Netherlands.