International organizations have collaborated to launch a One Health High-Level Expert Panel to enhance the understanding of how diseases that can trigger pandemics, emerge and spread.

The panel will advise the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Health Organization (WHO), regarding the development of a long-term global action plan to prevent the outbreaks of diseases such as H5N1 avian influenza, MERS, Ebola, Zika, and, probably COVID-19. Overall, three-fourth of all emerging infectious diseases have their origin in animals.

This will work under the One Health Approach, which recognizes the links between the health of individuals, animals, and the environment and stresses the need for experts in several sectors to address the potential health threats and prevent disruption to agri-food systems… (WHO, May 20, 2021)