Effective One Health Response and Interventions to Wildlife Events

- WildHealthResponse: Translating relevant health data into actionable real-time information supports stakeholders and decision-makers to structure and implement an effective multi-sectoral response—which in turn will optimize the health of wildlife, people, and livestock, and help prevent pandemics. Harnessing local knowledge informs decision-making and translates a global One Health vision into locally relevant solutions to halt species extinctions and threats to human and animal health and well-being.

- Effective networks in place through building blocks 1-3 for communication of results and coordination of effective response

- National strategies in place that ensure relevant personnel know their role and the processes for responding to different scenarios

- Good communication and collaboration between multi-sectoral response teams

- External financial support for LMICs and MICs until national budgets can support effective surveillance and response

Taking the time to put in place the initial three building blocks and national strategies enables the translation of relevant health data into actionable real-time information to support multi-sectoral stakeholders and decision-makers to implement an effective multi-sectoral response. This in turn will optimize the health of wildlife, people, and livestock, help prevent pandemics and demonstrate the benefits of wildlife surveillance networks, increasing local government buy-in for future self-investment.

Implementation
Monitoring
Documentation and dissemination of results
Review phase
Local
Subnational
National
Multi-national
Technology for Wildlife Surveillance Data Collection, Sharing and Management
WCS
Ranger using SMART cell-phone based technology
WCS
WCS
SMART for Health reporting and response cycle
WCS

WildHealthTech: WildHealthNet develops and employs innovative, appropriate, and user-friendly technologies for surveillance. With proven, globally distributed, open-source software (e.g., SMART for Health) and hardware like handheld cell phone devices for data collection and diagnostics, WildHealthNet supports effective and timely communication of data for improved reporting of wildlife health and rapid response.

- Cell-phone network accessibility and cell phone provision

- Human personnel to monitor network and data at the central level

- Access to a server

- Diagnostic capacity for safely testing wildlife samples for pathogens of concern (Point-of-care for some pathogens; in-country laboratories; regional laboratory networks, and agreements to support rapid and biosecure export, testing, and data sharing)

- Technical and analytical support

- Financing to enable technical support and capacity development for data platforms and data analysis

- Early detection of wildlife morbidity and mortality events facilitates a timely and appropriate response to disease threats; the inability to detect and identify the causes of mortality events is a major limitation in the protection of wildlife, livestock, and public health.

- Employing an already proven open-source and cell-phone-based technology through the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) platform used by rangers in close to 1,000 biodiverse sites across the world,  leverages an unprecedented network of globally distributed boots-on-the-ground and eyes-in-the-field that can act as sentinels for unusual events in remote areas. 

Planning phase
Inception phase
Implementation
Monitoring
Review phase
Local
Subnational
National
Multi-national
Global
SMART for Health
SMART for Wildlife Health Surveillance
Supporting Skills Development for Surveillance and Monitoring of Wildlife Disease
WCS
Ranger training in Cambodia
WCS

WildHealthSkills: WildHealthNet conducts capacity bridging and building with in-person and virtual trainings for all actors in the network, from field-based rangers to laboratory techs to national coordinators. The goal is to develop and share science-based protocols and best practices, and implement strong curricula so that each actor is empowered to fully participate.

- Long term financial support for technical expertise and input

- Government and local stakeholder awareness of the links between wildlife health and human health and well-being

- Government and local stakeholder interest and engagement in capacity development for wildlife surveillance and wildlife health monitoring

- Adequate human personnel without too much turnover, in order to maintain network

A foundational understanding of the links between wildlife/ environmental health and human and domestic animal health and well-being ensures better interest and buy-in for One Health competency training such as wildlife surveillance. Stakeholder-specific trainings (e.g. Event detection and reporting for forest rangers; Necropsy and pathology for laboratory staff/ veterinarians; Sample collection and handling for rangers & confiscation teams; Technology for network coordinator and rangers), multi-lingual training packages, with core competencies and evaluation tools enable broader reach and buy-in for capacity building and maintenance and continued expansion of the surveillance network national, regionally and globally.

 

 

 

Planning phase
Inception phase
Implementation
Monitoring
Documentation and dissemination of results
Review phase
Entirety
Local
Subnational
National
Multi-national
Multi-sectoral network building for monitoring wildlife diseases for One Health
WCS
Co-development meetings for wildlife health national strategy in Lao PDR
WCS

- WildHealthBuild: Building partnerships and breaking down silos across the human health, animal health, and environment/ wildlife sectors is an essential first step in planning and implementing wildlife surveillance for One Health intelligence, improving coordinated result sharing and response and the likelihood that networks and sustainable and used to guide science-based policy and disease control mechanisms going forward.

- Long-term funding from international donors

- Support and buy-in from national government actors at local, provincial, and national levels

- Support and buy-in from central government across human health, animal health, and wildlife/ environmental sectors

Convening regular multi-sectoral meetings for open discourse on the challenges and opportunities to monitoring and management of disease at the wildlife-human-livestock interface, and improving communications and trust between and across sectors, is critical in the joint development of functional, long-term wildlife surveillance networks for One Health intelligence, and adoption of associated policies. This takes considerable time and a sustained effort, often, unfortunately, outside of the normal funding cycles of donor agencies.

Planning phase
Inception phase
Implementation
Monitoring
Documentation and dissemination of results
Review phase
Entirety
Subnational
National
Multi-national
WCS
Southeast Asia
WildHealthNet Southeast Asia: Operationalizing Wildlife Health Surveillance for One Health
Lucy
Keatts
Multi-sectoral network building for monitoring wildlife diseases for One Health
Supporting Skills Development for Surveillance and Monitoring of Wildlife Disease
Technology for Wildlife Surveillance Data Collection, Sharing and Management
Effective One Health Response and Interventions to Wildlife Events
WCS
Southeast Asia
WildHealthNet Southeast Asia: Operationalizing Wildlife Health Surveillance for One Health
Lucy
Keatts
Multi-sectoral network building for monitoring wildlife diseases for One Health
Supporting Skills Development for Surveillance and Monitoring of Wildlife Disease
Technology for Wildlife Surveillance Data Collection, Sharing and Management
Effective One Health Response and Interventions to Wildlife Events
WCS
Southeast Asia
WildHealthNet Southeast Asia: Operationalizing Wildlife Health Surveillance for One Health
Lucy
Keatts
Multi-sectoral network building for monitoring wildlife diseases for One Health
Supporting Skills Development for Surveillance and Monitoring of Wildlife Disease
Technology for Wildlife Surveillance Data Collection, Sharing and Management
Effective One Health Response and Interventions to Wildlife Events
WCS Mongolia
North and Central Asia
Integrated livestock and wildlife disease surveillance and response supports Saiga conservation and livelihoods in Mongolia
Lucy
Keatts
1. Multi-sectoral coordination for monitoring diseases at the wildlife-livestock interface
Collection of baseline wildlife health data
Local Capacity Building for Management of Disease at the Wildlife-Livestock Interface
Implementation of Effective Control Strategies for Disease Spillover From Livestock to Wildlife
WCS Mongolia
North and Central Asia
Integrated livestock and wildlife disease surveillance and response supports Saiga conservation and livelihoods in Mongolia
Lucy
Keatts
1. Multi-sectoral coordination for monitoring diseases at the wildlife-livestock interface
Collection of baseline wildlife health data
Local Capacity Building for Management of Disease at the Wildlife-Livestock Interface
Implementation of Effective Control Strategies for Disease Spillover From Livestock to Wildlife
WCS Mongolia
North and Central Asia
Integrated livestock and wildlife disease surveillance and response supports Saiga conservation and livelihoods in Mongolia
Lucy
Keatts
1. Multi-sectoral coordination for monitoring diseases at the wildlife-livestock interface
Collection of baseline wildlife health data
Local Capacity Building for Management of Disease at the Wildlife-Livestock Interface
Implementation of Effective Control Strategies for Disease Spillover From Livestock to Wildlife
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