Recommendations for a research agenda on biodiversity and pandemics

The report outlines policy recommendations to develop broader transformative policies for human, animal, and ecosystem health. (Picture: Eklipse)

Recommendations of the Expert Working Group (Picture: Eklipse)

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Report of an Expert Working Group outlines policy recommendations to develop broader transformative policies for human, animal, and ecosystem health

Leipzig. An Expert Working Group with involvement of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) has published science-policy recommendations for future research to support transformative pandemic-prevention and preparedness policies. The report was published by Eklipse, a spinoff of a UFZ-led EU project.

The final knowledge synthesis report from the Eklipse Expert Working Group working on biodiversity and pandemics has now been released. This report outlines science policy recommendations regarding biodiversity and pandemics that need to be implemented in order to develop broader transformative policies for human, animal, and ecosystem health. A particular focus lies on policies to support and promote research needed to prevent and manage spillover events in which pathogens originating in wildlife cause disease outbreaks or even pandemics in humans or large-scale disease events in domesticated animals (panzootics).

“This report emphasizes the urgent need for an integrated approach in science policy to address the interplay between biodiversity and human health. I am delighted to have contributed to identifying crucial gaps in our understanding of the interactions between pandemics and biodiversity”, says Dr Miguel Fernandez, researcher at iDiv and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. “As a key message, our report advocates for interdisciplinary research strategies to address pandemics and broader environmental crises, highlighting the crucial role of science in achieving a more sustainable future.”

The report, which was requested by the European Commission services, was prepared by an Eklipse Expert Working Group active from 2022 to 2023. The group undertook a scoping review of scientific literature and collected input from a large body of external experts through an online survey and focus group discussions. Using these results, the group formulated recommendations for shaping a strategic research agenda on biodiversity and pandemics.

Original publication
(Researchers with iDiv affiliation are in bold)

Soushieta Jagadesh, Alexandre Caron, Claire Lajaunie, Hatice Mahur Turan, Nils Bunnefeld, Andrew Cunningham, Miguel Fernandez, Alister Scott, Norbert Tchouaffe Tchiadje, Adam Izdebski, Julie Teresa Shapiro (2023). Biodiversity and pandemics: Interdisciplinary research and action priorities. Eklipse Evidence Report 02/2023

Link to report

View PDF

Contact:

Dr Miguel Alejandro Fernandez Trigoso(speaks Englisch and Spanish)
Lead Scientific Officer
Biodiversity Conservation research group
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU)
Phone: +49 341 9733192
Email: miguel.fernandez@idiv.de