Month: May 2022

‘Voices from the Ground’

Posted on by Hannah Emde

with WCS Viet Nam: Addressing health risks associated with wildlife trade in Viet Nam.

The Alliance’s new online series “Voices from the Ground” format is exclusively for Alliance members and represents the diversity of local realities. This format will create a safe space that is trustworthy to share experiences, solutions and challenges and shall foster the exchange within the Alliance community. During these session incongruences between science and implementation, theory and practice, including Indigenous Peoples knowledge, can be addressed. As well as practical challenges and solutions on the ground, such as questions deriving from economic dependence from wildlife trade, cultural and religious values and traditions, or the faulty implementation of policies shall be discussed – so that all voices will be heard! 

Join our 1st “Voices from the Ground Session” with WCS Viet Nam 

on Thursday, May 12th 2022 at 2:00pm CEST
click here to join the meeting

About the event:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is implementing One Health approaches in field programs around the world, with local teams working at the nexus of climate change, maintenance of intact ecosystems, wildlife trade and health. Commercial wildlife trade has been widely recognized as a major risk factor for the emergence of pathogens with pandemic potential. Addressing wildlife trade as a key driver of infectious disease emergence demands a comprehensive, collaborative, dynamic and multisectoral approach, working with a variety of partners and stakeholders at local, regional, national and global levels. In this session, we will share experiences from Viet Nam by hosting a panel of local experts who have contributed to research led by WCS investigating pathogens of pandemic potential and examining the health risks associated with the wildlife trade. Panelists will share findings from their efforts to understand, mitigate, and prevent disease emergence associated with the wildlife trade, through research, policy, and conservation work. The panelists will outline the early success of Viet Nam’s interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder, and science-driven approach to researching and understanding the complexity of health risks associated with wildlife supply chains. The moderated discussion will explore opportunities to expand the One Health approach to address complex issues at the human-wildlife-environment interface.  

Panelists and Speakers:

The panel will be led by Ms. Hoang Bich Thuy – Country Director, Wildlife Conservation Society, Viet Nam Program.  

Speakers will include

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phuong, Regional Animal Health Office No.6 (RAHO6), Department of Animal Health,  

Mr. Truong Quang Lam, Viet Nam University of Agriculture,  

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, WCS Viet Nam program,

Mr. Pham Van Thong, Save Viet Nam’s Wildlife. 

If you and your partners are also interested in contributing to a “Voices from the Ground Session”, please let us know.

We are delighted to kick off our new event series together with you and WCS Vietnam and enthusiastic to see all of you next Thursday. 

Join here

CLOSED – Call for Proposals

Posted on by Hannah Emde

Dear members*,

we invite you to significantly contribute to the goals** of the “International Alliance against Health Risks in Wildlife Trade”, and submit a project outline to apply for funding, utilising your expertise, understanding of the underlying challenges, state-of-the art knowledge of existing evidence and ideas for moving forward. Project outlines will have to be submitted by May 16th 2022, end of day CEST.

In terms of specifics, we are inviting proposals on two distinct TOPICs: 

TOPIC A 
Using social innovation to move towards the Alliance’s goals. This will involve piloting new approaches and thinking out of the box based on well-founded hypotheses, while tolerating higher risks of failure to achieve intended results and impacts.

TOPIC B 
Translating scientific evidence into policy and regulation towards the Alliance’s goals. This will include interdisciplinary work, putting policy and regulatory considerations centre stage, while understanding how best to factor in aspects of behaviour and incentives when translating science into policy. 

And two different FORMATs: 

FORMAT A 
Your proposed project works as stand-alone, to be realised by a consortium already assembled.

FORMAT B 
Your proposal covers only part of a larger envisioned project; it includes an outline to what additional complementary expertise/ competence/ infrastructure/ equipment you are seeking to include in the overall proposal.

By May 31st 2022, a limited number of outlines will be selected to move forward, requesting further elaboration of final full proposals.

Please find detailed information and the application template to download here.

*Note that participation requirements are linked to a membership in the Alliance. Only members of the Alliance have the right to apply for the call. If you have any further questions, also on the process of how to become a member, please do not hesitate to contact us.

**The members of Alliance are committed to unite resources to achieve the following goals:  

  • Substantially reducing the risks of zoonotic spillover and stepping up responses (including behavioral changes) to human and animal health risks caused by direct and indirect contact with wildlife and their products along the wildlife trade chain.
  • Enhancing international and national awareness, knowledge, and policies with regards to the first goal, thus narrowing the gap between science and implementation